


State of the Union

by varellanoemo



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Bratva Felicity Smoak, Bratva Oliver Queen, F/M, Mayor Oliver Queen, POV Felicity Smoak, POV Oliver Queen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-07-12 19:34:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 49
Words: 151,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7119568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/varellanoemo/pseuds/varellanoemo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I guess I couldn’t stay away from the computer. The writing bug has definitely bitten me.
> 
> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”
> 
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.
> 
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.
> 
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

How did I even think I could manage the City and be the Green Arrow at the same time, Oliver thought to himself as he sat in the Mayor's office, leaning back as far as he could in the leather desk chair, his eyes closed. He had spent most of last night hunting down the remaining forces of Damian Darhk's Ghosts left in the city. Most of them had fled when Damian was defeated, but a few loyalists had remained, hiding in the shadows. Felicity had been in the bunker helping him track them down, but even he knew that they had not likely caught all of them yet. He knew it was going to be an on-going battle to find them and eliminate the last remnants of H.I.V.E. from his city. A job even tougher without the help of John Diggle, his sister Thea or Laurel. 

Now, all he wanted was for a quiet moment to close his eyes and try to rest for a moment. To aid in this effort, he had finally shut the door connecting his private office to the receptionist area where his assistant, Mrs. Sanchez sat, to allow him a few minutes to reflect before his first City Council meeting occurred in less than an hour. Knowing that he really needed to review the Council Agenda and meeting script he had been provided by the City Clerk, he released a heavy sigh. It can wait a minute, he thought, as he stood up and walked over to the window, looking out at the plaza in front of City Hall. There were still visible reminders of the death and destruction that had occurred there only a week ago when Damian Darhk's forces had attacked the city...his city...Star City. Even amidst the scorched concrete and boarded up windows, he could see a mother, pushing her child in a stroller, making their way across the street to lay flowers next to the make-shift memorial the people of Star City created to remember how they had united with the Green Arrow to take back their city. 

Oliver knew that sacrifices had been made that night to help him defeat Darhk. He only hoped that the families of those that lost loved ones during their battle would be able to continued to rally with him to rebuild this city. He allowed himself a moment of happiness as he remembered how it felt to harness the hope and goodness from the citizens who showed up to help him, help the Green Arrow save Star City. Isn't that what his father had wanted him to do all along? He couldn't let them down. He couldn't let himself down. He knew he would not fail this city.

A gentle knock on the door broke him out of his reverie. He turned to face the door and said, "Come in."

Mrs. Sanchez opened the door, smiled at him and said, "Mr. Mayor, you have a guest here to see you."

Oliver smiled at Mrs. Sanchez and said, "Now, Mrs. Sanchez, how many times do I have to tell you to please, just call me Oliver."

Mrs. Sanchez frowned and replied, "Mr. Mayor, I was there on the plaza that day when you scrambled up on top of that car and inspired our city to not lose hope. You earned the appointment to be Mayor that day." Mrs. Sanchez placed both hands on her hips and added, "and in a few short months, the citizens of Star City are going to ratify that appointment by outright electing you Mayor. So I'm afraid we're going to have to agree to disagree on this point, because you have earned the title of Mr. Mayor and I will chastise anyone who dares to call you anything else while I am in earshot."

Oliver chuckled, nodded his head in agreement and said simply, "Who's here?"

Mrs. Sanchez's eyes lit up as she answered, "Why, Miss Smoak is here to see you." She stepped into his office to let Felicity enter, then she exited and closed the door.

Oliver looked at Felicity with surprise, his right hand down by his side, rubbing his middle finger with his thumb. "Hi Felicity, I wasn't expecting you to be here this morning."

Felicity walked toward him, keeping his desk between the two of them, she smiled at him as she replied, "It's your first City Council meeting, Oliver. I thought you might like to have at least have one friendly face in the audience of politicians."

Oliver smiled back at her and said, "Thank you."

Felicity said matter-of-factly, "That's what friends are for," then she hesitantly added, "Right?"

Oliver wet his lips, then pursed them together, nodding his head and said, "Um-huh, yeah." He grabbed his portfolio with his Council Meeting agenda and script, stepped out from behind his desk and toward her. He looked at her and said, "You know that the media is going to be all over this first meeting." 

Felicity took in a deep breath and said, "I know they are, Oliver. We'll just keep maintaining our requests to keep our private lives private and that while we may not be together together," she motioned her hand between the two of them, "we still care and support each other in our endeavors and hope to work together to help rebuild Star City."

Oliver nodded his head at her again and said, "Um, about that, Felicity. I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

Felicity looked up at him, a small "O" formed with her lips as she asked, "What is it?"

Oliver placed his right hand in his pocket so she wouldn't see him rubbing his fingers together and said, "I know that the Board of Directors made the poor decision to fire you as CEO of Palmer Technologies..."

Felicity frowned and nodded her head.

He continued, "and that since we're all that's left of Team Arrow, it would really help our mission to rebuild Star City if you were working here at City Hall."

Felicity laughed and said, "Well I don't think Mrs. Sanchez would be too happy with me if I pushed her out of her job, Oliver."

Oliver shook his head no and said, "No, Felicity, that's not what I had in mind. I need someone who can help me rebuild this city, not just when I'm the Green Arrow, but also when I'm the Mayor."

"What are you trying to say, Oliver?"

Oliver took in a deep breath. He couldn't believe how hard this was a question to ask her. "I'm saying that I would like for my first action as Mayor to appoint you Deputy Mayor of Star City."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver Queen has just asked Felicity Smoak to join him at City Hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is Chapter Two of my new story. It takes place the week after “Schism.”
> 
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.
> 
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.

Chapter Two

Felicity tilted her head to the right and said, "What?" allowing her mouth to gape open in astonishment. She stood there for a moment, unsure at first if she had heard him correctly. 

Oliver strengthened his stance, fully facing her and repeated himself, "I would like to appoint you Deputy Mayor of Star City." His cool blues watching her, trying to gauge if the current surprised look on her face was surprised good or surprised bad.

Oliver Queen wanted her to be his Deputy Mayor, she thought incredulously. No longer his Girl Wednesday, Executive Assistant, Girlfriend or Fiancée, he was giving her the opportunity to help him, to fight along side him in the light of day. She knew he was confident in her abilities as Overwatch, helping Team Arrow take down the bad guys as they appeared. But this...this was something completely and totally unexpected.

"Felicity?" Oliver said her name with caution and doubt, "If you need time to think about..."

"I'll do it." She replied, interrupting him before he had a chance to try and take back what he was offering. She held out her hand to him and said, "Partners?"

Oliver smiled down at her, reached for her hand to shake it. The minute their hands touched, he felt a sizzle of electricity. Oliver's blue eyes darkened almost immediately.

Felicity snatched back her hand, rubbed it against the soft billowing folds of her dress and chuckled, "Darn static electricity." Felicity looked down at her hand. She knew static electricity or not, the room was charged with an underlying energy that radiated from Oliver Queen. How are we going to make this work, she thought. How am I going to be able to work with him during the day and then turn around and work with him all night? My defenses are only so strong...  
Oliver sensed that Felicity was beginning to doubt this new possibility of working together in City Hall. He said, "Hey, your office will be located on the other side of Mrs. Sanchez's reception area...so we'll likely only see each other at our morning briefing and then only as often as you need me during the day." He nodded toward Mrs. Sanchez's desk and added, "She runs a pretty tight ship here...keeps me on my toes." He smiled at Felicity, hoping that his attempt at levity would break the tension in the room.

Felicity nodded her head and asked with a tinge of skepticism, "Are you sure the City Council will approve of my appointment?"

Oliver, knew that the Palmer Tech Board's dismissal of her had rattled her confidence. He placed his hand gently on her shoulder like he used to, smiled at her, and said, "I've already secured the necessary votes needed to ratify your nomination, Felicity. All I needed to know was if you were willing to join me here at City Hall and rebuild this City." Oliver thought to himself, and maybe help to rebuild us. 

Felicity stood there and stared at him. When did this man become acquainted with Robert's Rules of Order and City Council procedures, she thought. 

The doubt that she was feeling must have been apparent on her face as Oliver replied, "Mrs. Sanchez has been the Executive Assistant to the Mayor of Star City for thirty years, well except when Sebastian Blood took over. He didn't like her. She said she thought it was because she reminded him of his mother," Oliver paused and added, "I happened to mention to her that I wanted to have you by my side..."

Felicity gave him a side-eyed glance.

Oliver continued, "Because I needed someone here in City Hall who I could trust. Mrs. Sanchez suggested that I appoint you as Deputy Mayor." Oliver paused for a moment, but Felicity uncharacteristically said nothing. He continued, "I wasn't sure if you would agree to it or not, but I knew that you would be amazing at it. That as Deputy Mayor, you would have the authority to make a difference for so many people here in Star City, devastated by what had happened."

A dark cloud passed over Felicity's features. She remembered all too well the devastation that had happened. How her choice resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. People who she would never meet, but had done enough internet research on to start putting faces with the names of those who died with the nuclear blast occurred last week.

Felicity sighed and thought, I can do this to honor their memory. We honor the dead by fighting, and we are not done fighting. She nodded her head at Oliver and said softly but firmly, "I'm in."

Oliver smiled his widest grin, squeezed her shoulder and said, "Great! Now come on, we have a City Council meeting to attend."

They walked down to the meeting side by side. Camera flashes were already going off as they approached the Council Chambers. Oliver, ever the gentleman, held the door open for her as they entered. The Council was already in their assigned seats and he joined them on the dais. Felicity took a seat in the first row of chairs. Oliver called the meeting to order and the City Clerk conducted the roll call to establish a quorum. Once the rest of the meeting's opening formalities were complete, Oliver following the meeting script and entertained the motion to ratify his appointment of Felicity Smoak as Deputy Mayor of Star City. There was a small collective gasp by the press corps seated in the room. Felicity maintained her eye contact with Oliver as he acknowledged the motions needed to bring this matter to a vote. What he hadn't counted on was any discussion. 

Council member Briggs raised his hand and asked, "Were there any other candidates interested in serving as Deputy Mayor of Star City?" Oliver looked coldly at the Council member and said simply, "None that I would consider."

Council member Briggs bolstered that he had been able to get under the new Mayor's skin so easily suggested, "I understand that Dr. Carter Bowen has returned to Star City from his recent philanthropic work with Doctors without Borders. I think he would be an amazing man to serve the citizens of our City and help make Star City great again."

Oliver hated Carter Bowen. Even now, just the utterance of that name made him cringe, recalling all the years his parents' had put Carter Bowen on a pedestal. He paused for a moment and said very carefully, "We have a motion on the floor Council member Briggs, of which you have the option of voting yea, nay or abstaining." Then Oliver looked at the rest of the City Council members and asked, "Is there any further discussion?" No one said a word. Then Oliver said, "All those in favor, please signify by pressing the green button." A series of green lights appeared next to each City Council member's last name on the electronic board hanging behind the Council, with the exception of one. Oliver didn't fail to notice the lack of a green light next to the name Briggs and said, "All those opposed, please signify by pressing the red button." A lone red light appeared next Council member Briggs name on the board. Oliver's jaw tightened as he said, "Are their any abstaining?" No one moved. Oliver said, "Clerk, please tally the votes." The City Clerk tallied the votes and announced that the appointment of Felicity Smoak as Deputy Mayor of Star City was ratified.

Felicity smiled at Oliver. She was going to be the Deputy Mayor. She was going to be able to make a difference for her adopted hometown. Oliver had helped her find another way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think.  
> I hope you are enjoying this story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness (on Tumblr) and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Three

The next morning while enjoying her morning coffee at the table in the loft, Felicity heard a knock on her front door. She stood up, walked over to the door and opened it. There standing was a young man, who if not because he was wearing a well-pressed suit with a "Flash" insignia tie, Felicity would have thought he was in high school. He was holding a newspaper, completely focused on typing something on his cell phone. Felicity stood there looking at the young man. What is he doing here and who is he, she thought. She asked, "Can I help you?"

The young man held up his index finger while continuing to type furiously on his cell phone with one hand. Felicity rolled her eyes and moved to close her door. The young man looked up, smiled at her and said, "Sorry, Miss Smoak, I was updating City Hall's Facebook page with a post wishing you well on your first official day as Deputy Mayor and making sure that the corresponding Tweet got posted on Twitter as well."

Felicity looked at the young man standing just outside her loft and said, "And you are?"  
The young man blushed and replied, "Sorry, Miss Smoak, I'm Jeremy. Jeremy Jordan. But, my friends call me JJ." He smiled and extended his hand for her to shake. Felicity took his hand, shook it and asked, "And you're here to...what, brief me on the status of the City's Social Media campaign?   
Jeremy chuckled, "That's a good one Miss Smoak! I heard you had a great sense of humor."

Felicity frowned and thought, who has he been talking to about me? She asked, "Couldn't this have waited until I got into the office this morning?"

"Sorry, Miss Smoak," Jeremy answered, "I wanted to make sure I was able to snap a few pictures of you as you made your way to City Hall this morning, maybe even do a quick SnapChat or Facebook Live post?" Then seeing Felicity's discomfort, added, "You know, former IT Girl-slash-Executive Assistant-slash-CEO-turned-public servant on a mission to resurrect Star City. You're a role model for young women everywhere!"

I thought I was a young woman, she thought. "I'm sorry, but I really don't like being in the spotlight, Jeremy." Felicity thought of how much she hated having to do all the publicity shots and requisite business magazine interviews once she had become Palmer Tech's CEO. All she wanted to do was make a difference in the world with the technology she helped develop during the day and then help catch the bad guys at night.

Jeremy frowned with disappointment. "I'm sorry Miss Smoak if my eagerness has put you off." He looked down at his shoes for a moment, looked back up at her and said, "It's just that you've accomplished so much in such a short amount of time." Then he added, "I was really looking forward to working with you. I couldn't believe it when Mrs. Sanchez chose me out of the Office Tech pool to be your assistant. Usually, those jobs go to someone who's been working 'Under the Dome'...".  
Felicity gave him a questioning look and he replied, "That's sort of the nickname we came up with for the place, you know City Hall, main building dome up on top, our office is right below it...". Felicity nodded her head in understanding and he continued, "I am hoping to document for all the other members of our generation how you're making a difference in our City. How you and Mayor Queen are bringing our city back from the brink of total destruction."

Felicity winced. Why does every conversation always circle back to what I caused to happen in Havenrock, she thought to herself. 

Jeremy added quickly, "Just so you know, my little sister is a big fan of yours. She's always been way too interested in computers for a kid who's only 9 years old. She made our Mom go and buy a t-shirt with the Palmer Tech logo on it so she could wear it."

Felicity smiled at that comment and said, "I built my first computer at the age of 7."

Jeremy smiled in return and said, "Really?! That's so cool!" Then asked hesitantly, "Is it okay if I tell my sister that?"

"Yes," Felicity replied and nodded her head in agreement. She looked at the young man's enthusiastic smile and thought to herself, I wonder if I was ever that idealistic? She added, "Let me go grab my tablet and purse, Jeremy. I'll be right back." 

Jeremy did a quick fist pump and said enthusiastically, "Yes!" That made Felicity smile.

She turned away from the door, walked back over to the table, grabbed her tablet and purse, walked back to where he stood and said, "Well, let's get this show on the road, Jeremy and oh, by the way, nice tie." 

Jeremy grinned and walked with Felicity three blocks toward her new office. Once at the base of the front steps of City Hall, Jeremy stopped her so he could get a photo of her with City Hall as the backdrop. "This is going to look great on Instagram!" Jeremy snapped the picture, showed it to Felicity who nodded her head in approval and they stopped for a moment while he posted the picture.

Felicity heard a deep voice say, "Ah, Deputy Mayor Smoak, I see you're already trying to win over the hearts of the Millennial Generation. Too bad they don't vote nearly as reliably as say the Baby-Boomer Generation." Felicity turned around and saw City Council Member Briggs standing there next to a good looking, well-dressed man with dark eyes, brown hair and an appreciative smile on his face as he perused her body.

Felicity plastered on the best fake smile she could muster and said, "Delightful to see you again, Council Member Briggs." She extended her hand to shake his, but the younger man reached for hers first and said, "It's lovely to meet you Deputy Mayor Smoak. I'm Dr. Carter Bowen." He shook her hand firmly, holding it for just a little too long before releasing his hold on it. "I'd love the opportunity to share with you some of my recent activities with Doctors Without Borders. Perhaps we could have dinner tonight?" He smiled at her a smile that she was pretty sure had turned plenty of women into mush. She noticed Council Member Briggs smiled a little to sweetly at Dr. Bowen's dinner invitation. Felicity's eyes narrowed, "I'm sorry, Dr. Bowen, but I'm already engaged for the evening. Another time perhaps?" 

"I'll hold you to that, Deputy Mayor Smoak," he replied.

Ugh, I'm going to be regretting saying that, she thought. She looked at Council Member Briggs and said, "'It's good to see you again, Council Member." Felicity turned back around and smiled genuinely at Jeremy. He looked like he had no idea what he was supposed to do next. Felicity said, "Come on Jeremy, we have a City to resurrect." She started walking up the steps and into City Hall, Jeremy following closely behind her. They headed up to where her office was located. 

Once they got to Mrs. Sanchez's desk, she smiled at the two of them and said, "Welcome, Deputy Mayor Smoak! I see you've already met your new assistant, Mr. Jordan." 

Felicity smiled at Mrs. Sanchez and said, "Yes. He's a very eager young man, Mrs. Sanchez. Thank you for recruiting him as my assistant." The two ladies turned to look at Jeremy who blushed a deep crimson red and said, "Um, I'll just go over here and work on setting up my desk now," and he made his way to his area just outside of Felicity's new office.

Mrs. Sanchez looked at Felicity and said, "Mayor Queen is expecting you Deputy Mayor Smoak. He wanted you to come into his office as soon as you arrived."

Felicity looked at the clock on the wall behind Mrs. Sanchez and asked, "It's only 7:45 a.m. Mrs. Sanchez. What time does Mayor Queen normally arrive at the office?"

Mrs. Sanchez frowned a little at her question, but replied, "I usually arrive at 6:30 a.m. every morning to get my day started," she paused for a moment leaned closer to Felicity and whispered, "and he's usually here already."

Felicity frowned. Is he getting any sleep after his Green Arrow duties each night, she wondered. He told me last night to take the night off and rest up before my first day. Did he go out last night without telling me, she thought. "Thank you for letting me know, Mrs. Sanchez. I'll go see him now." Felicity smiled at the older woman and walked over to Oliver's shut office door. She knocked gently and heard him say, "Come in." Felicity entered his office and shut the door behind her. Oliver stood by the window looking out at the building's steps and plaza below. Felicity thought to herself, I wonder if he saw that little interaction I had with the City Council Member and Dr. Bowen. She said with a little too brightly, "Deputy Mayor Smoak reporting for duty, Sir."

Oliver turned around to face her. His eyes a stormy blue. She knew that look. He was not happy. He quickly changed his expression and returned her smile. "Thank you for arriving early on your first day, Felicity. We have a very busy schedule ahead of us today."

"And tonight, too, right, Oliver?" she replied.

Oliver slowly nodded his head in agreement and said, "Yes, and tonight too."

They stood there facing each other. The expanse of the room still separating them apart. Felicity said, "I ran into Council Member Briggs this morning as I arrived at City Hall."

Oliver tilted his head to the side and thought to himself, I know, I saw that weasel Bowen dare to touch your hand. He stood straighter and replied, "I hope he was nicer to you this morning than he was yesterday at the meeting."

Felicity chuckled and said, "Oh, he was somewhat nicer." She took a step closer to Oliver and said, "He had Dr. Carter Bowen with him." 

Oliver nodded his head and said, "Uh, huh...what did you think of him?"

Felicity sauntered closer to his desk and said wrinkling her nose, "He looks like a weasel."

Oliver smiled at her comment and exhaled. He hadn't realized he had been holding his breath waiting for her response. He moved over to his chair and said, "Well, Deputy Mayor Smoak, let's review our schedule for today and get started. We've got a lot to work to do."

Felicity smiled at Oliver and sat down in the chair across from him. Oliver explained that normally, when they met in the morning, Mrs. Sanchez would be there as well as her assistant to review both their calendars for the day. He let her know that if she liked, he would make sure that Mrs. Sanchez ran all meeting requests by her before confirming any appointment on his schedule. He wanted to make sure that if she felt there was a need for her to be in attendance at any of his meetings with City Staff or a constituent, that she was there. He gave her a binder containing the organizational structure of City Hall. 

She looked at it and asked, "Don't we have any of this on-line?"

Oliver shrugged his shoulders and chuckled, "We're lucky they even have a website Felicity."

Felicity frowned. For a city that headquartered an innovative conglomerate like Palmer Tech, it deserved the most interactive website available. The employees should have the best technology available.

Oliver noticed her frown and said, "Hey, today's only your first day. Let's take it one day at a time, okay?" Sort of like how I'm hoping we're working our way back to each other, he thought.

Felicity looked up at him, nodded her head in agreement and said, "One day at a time, Oliver."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think.  
> I truly appreciate that you read my story and took the time to leave a comment.  
> Thank you!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”
> 
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.
> 
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.
> 
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Four

After her meeting with Oliver, Felicity walked back to her office, left her door open and sat down at the chair behind her desk. The room was not nearly as modern looking as her former office at the top of the Palmer Tech building, but it would do. Heck, at least you have a job, Felicity, she thought to herself. She looked down at the binder in front of her. How could a city as progressive as Star City continue to rely so heavily on binders of information, she wondered. She looked around her office and noticed the filing cabinets lining the walls of her office. Okay, Felicity, she thought, remember ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’. A knock on the door frame caused her to look up. Jeremy stood there holding a binder, looking a bit nervous. “Come on in, Jeremy,” she said. When he was right in front of her desk, she asked, “What’s up?”

Jeremy replied, “I wanted to remind you that the Council’s Sub-committee on Public Works will be holding their meeting in 15 minutes in the first floor conference room.” He placed the binder in front of her on her desk and said, “Here’s the meeting’s agenda and background information on the state of our public utilities…” Jeremy hesitated a moment, a sad look crossed his face as he looked down at the binder and added softly, “since the explosion.”

Felicity looked at Jeremy. She could see that he was holding something back from her. She smiled at him and said, “Thank you, Jeremy, for the meeting reminder,” she held up the detested white binder, “and the information I’ll need for it.” 

He turned around to head back toward his desk, when Felicity asked, “Hey Jeremy?” He turned back to face her and said, “Yes, Deputy Mayor Smoak?”

She asked quietly, “Did you lose someone in the explosion last week?”

Startled at her questions, Jeremy nodded his head and said, “My father was the chief engineer for the Public Works Department. He had been assigned by Mayor Adams to oversee the building of the new water treatment facility.” Jeremy looked angry, “that we now know had been a cover for whatever that place was where she died” He composed himself and continued, “Dad had been so excited for the opportunity to bring the new cleaner water technology to Star City. He kept telling us that it was going to give the residents a brighter, environmental future.” He looked down at his shoes, then back up at Felicity and said, “I know that if he really knew what they had been up to, he never would have gone along with whatever they were planning.” He looked at Felicity and said, “Now, everyone has been whispering that he’d been in collusion with whatever it was the Mayor was planning, but I know he wasn’t. My Mom, sister and I were at home when the explosion occurred. My Mom’s a nurse, so she left me at home in charge of my sister, while she headed back to work help out with the injured.”

Felicity startled at first by Jeremy’s revelation, realized that if his father was involved with Damien Darhk, then Jeremy and his family would have been inside that crazy, idyllic underground community Oliver and John told her about. She looked at him with sympathy, “I’m so sorry for your loss, Jeremy.” She stood up, walked around her desk toward him and said, “We’re going to rebuild this city in the honor of all those people who lost their lives that day, including your Dad.” 

Jeremy nodded his head in agreement and said, “Thank you for that.”

Felicity asked, “How are you and your family doing?”

Jeremy shrugged his shoulders. “We’re doing okay, I guess. I mean, Mom’s been working a lot lately with all of the injured still recovering in the hospital. My sister, Hannah, is still having a hard time, thought. The school brought in people that the kids could talk to about what happened, but she’s refusing to talk to them. Instead, she’s been working on some new project she keeps in her room.”

Felicity nodded her head in understanding. When her Father left them, she took apart and rebuilt her computer and its components several times to keep her mind off of him leaving. “Do you think she’d like to get a tour of Palmer Tech one day? I mean, I may no longer work there, but I’m still the majority share-holder and still know a few people who would probably love to show her some of the latest projects they are working on now.” I’m sure Curtis won’t mind, she thought and then smiled at Jeremy.

Jeremy’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Oh, wow Miss Smoak, I mean Deputy Mayor Smoak. That would be awesome!”

“Great! Now, can you show me where the Ladies Room is on this floor? I better make a quick pit stop before heading down to the meeting,” said Felicity smiling.

Jeremy showed Felicity the location of the bathroom. When she walked back to her office, Jeremy escorted her down to the conference room. When Felicity opened the door of the room, she saw a rectangular conference table with 10 chairs around it. She recognized the three people sitting at the table immediately. Council member Elizabeth Dover, Council Member Briggs and the seemingly ubiquitous, Dr. Carter Bowen were there. Felicity stood in the doorway, inwardly groaned, leaned over to Jeremy and whispered, “You didn’t warn me that Briggs was on this committee?”

Jeremy whispered back, “He’s not.”

Felicity plastered a smile on her face as she walked into the room, Jeremy right behind her. “Council Members, so good to see both of you.” Dr. Bowen stood up as she entered the room. At least he has manners, she thought.

Council Member Dover stood up, smiled at Felicity, shook her hand and said, “I’m looking forward to working with you, Deputy Mayor Smoak,” then she sat back down in her seat.

Felicity nodded her head in acknowledgement at Council Member Briggs and Dr. Bowen, saying, “Good to see you both again,” then she sat down in the seat next to Council Member Dover, but directly across from Dr. Bowen. 

Dr. Bowen smiled at Felicity, sat back down and said, “Twice in one day, Deputy Mayor Smoak. It appears the Fates may be working in my favor today.”

Don’t count on it, thought Felicity, as she gave him a humoring smile. 

Then, in walked several City Public Works staff members, each taking a place at the table, binders in hand. Felicity shook her head and chuckled to herself.

“Is something amusing to you, Miss Smoak?” asked Council Member Briggs.

She looked up in surprise and said, “Actually, yes.” She took a moment to look at everyone sitting around the table. “I’m shocked that a City known for its innovative technology company would still be running its government offices like it was still the 20th Century.” She lifted up her binder for emphasis and said, “Everything in this binder could be on a file in a tablet each City worker could carry with them.”

Council Member Briggs responded, “I’m not sure our City’s budget could afford this new technology you speak of, Miss Smoak. Especially, when right now we’re trying to figure out a way to reestablish utilities to half of this City after that vigilante and the rest of his band of miscreants decided to blow up our new water treatment facility and then rumble in the middle of our streets with what was nothing more than a rival street gang.”

Felicity knew her face was beet red. She didn’t need a mirror to confirm it for her. She took a moment to gauge her reaction to Council Member Briggs tirade about Team Arrow. She said slowly, emphasizing each word, “I know what happened here last week was terrible.” She took a moment to look back at Jeremy, who was sitting in a chair behind her, nodded her head at him, turned back around and continued, “But I would like to remind everyone in this room that it was Mayor Oliver Queen who rallied this City to help the Green Arrow defeat Damien Darhk. Damien Darhk is the real villain here. He’s the one who caused the destruction of the water treatment facility. He’s the one who brought those people known as “Ghosts” here who terrorized the residents of our City.” She paused for a moment and looked at Council Members Briggs and Dover, “Need I remind you that you were the ones who appointed Mayor Oliver Queen to lead this City back from where it had fallen. His ability to inspire the people of Star City is what drove you to seek him out to help you rebuild this City. I’m here to help make that happen too and given what I’ve seen so far leads me to believe that people here were too use to the status quo, too set in their ways. I love this City. I love…" Felicity paused for a moment. Then she continued, "I want it to be great again. I know we can do it. I think the real question is, are you ready to commit to making this city great again?” She looked at each person around the table. “Are you? Because I know that I am and I am not alone.” She paused again and glanced back toward Jeremy who gave her an encouraging smile. She turned back around to see Dr. Bowen standing up, clapping his hands.

“Well said, Deputy Mayor Smoak!” he said a bit too enthusiastically. “I want to join you in your efforts to modernize this City.” Carter paused and looked at the faces in the room, including the stunned face of Council Member Briggs. “I’ve seen what backwards thinking and road blocks in the face of progress can cause for a community first-hand. Star City is no shrinking violet. We’ve got the opportunity to improve Star City for the benefit of our residents. We live here. We work here. Our families are here. Each one of us has a vested interest in making sure Star City rises like the mythological phoenix from the ashes of despair.” He walked around the table over to where Felicity still stood, put his arm around her and asked, “Who else is ready to help us make Star City great again?”

“I am,” said a voice from the doorway.

Felicity turned and saw Oliver standing there. She pulled away from Carter’s arm as everyone stood up around the table as he entered.

Oliver walked over to Carter, smiled his practically patented ‘Ollie Queen Smile’, shook Carter’s hand and said, “It’s good to see you, Carter. It’s been what four years now?”

Carter winced a little from Oliver’s hand shake and said, “It has been about that long now, Ollie. I’ve been busy working in whatever hotspot Doctors without Borders has needed me.” Carter smiled at Felicity and added, “I thought it was the right time for me to come home and try to make a difference in my own City.”

Oliver nodded his head in agreement and replied, “I can see that...”

Council Member Briggs interrupted saying, “I’m sorry Mr. Mayor, but we can only have two members of the City Council present at a Committee meeting unless said meeting has been properly posted for the general public to attend.” A sly smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, making Felicity cringe as slightly as possible so that no one saw her immediate revulsion reaction.

Oliver smiled at Council Member Briggs and said, “Well then it’s a good thing that Mrs. Sanchez let me know that she had posted this meeting appropriately and suggested that I might want to sit in on it to hear the discussion about how we are going to work together to start rebuilding this City’s devastated infrastructure and in turn reaffirming the residents' confidence in the leadership abilities of their City Council and its Mayor.” Oliver sat down in the empty seat next Felicity’s chair. 

Everyone else took their seats and Carter went back to his. The meeting continued for the next two hours, with City staff reviewing what needed to be repaired, what needed to be rebuilt and what was still working. The staffers agreed with Felicity that updating the City’s technology would make them not only more efficient, but it would also allow them to be able to work more in the field with their employees and contractors as they expedited those projects that needed to be prioritized.  
Felicity offered to work with the Contracts & Purchasing Office to create am appropriate Request for Proposal to publish to start the technology upgrade for the City. Right as someone was asking about continuing their meeting after lunch, a delivery person arrived with a platter of assorted sandwiches, chips, cookies and beverages for the group. 

Felicity asked, “Who do we have to thank for this?”

Jeremy raised his hand and said, “I did Deputy Mayor Smoak. I took the liberty of emailing Mrs. Sanchez and she ordered everything we would need for lunch for the group. I also reminded her about your nut allergy so you should be okay with everything here.”

Felicity beamed a smile at Jeremy and said, “Well done, JJ!”

Jeremy smiled at her use of his nickname. He hadn’t had the heart to tell her that his Dad was the only one who had ever called him Jeremy. “You’re welcome, Deputy Mayor Smoak,” he replied and blushed at her praise.

When the meeting was over a few hours later, Felicity let everyone know that she would be providing general task lists for the Public Works Team to follow-up on with her. She let them know her expectations for the progress on each project listed and that all updates would be done via email and that she would route a condensed report to each member of the City Council, including Mayor Queen. She felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment.

Council Member Dover turned to Felicity and said, “Well done Deputy Mayor. That was likely the best Public Works Committee meeting I have ever attended.”  
Felicity smiled at her praise. 

Even Council Member Briggs grudgingly acknowledged to her that she could run a meeting. 

Carter smiled at Felicity walked around Council Member Dover’s chair toward her and said, “I’d still love to take you to dinner, Deputy Mayor Smoak to discuss today’s meeting. I have some ideas I'd like to discuss with you on strategizing to find Federal funding for some of our rebuilding efforts. I know you have plans for tonight, but how about Friday?”

Felicity stood back, looked at Oliver who looked away at that moment and said, “Um, I’m sorry, I have plans with a friend already, but I could do lunch that day?”

Carter smiled and said, “Well then it’s a date, Felicity…I mean Deputy Mayor Smoak. I’ll meet you at your office at 11:30 a.m.?”

Felicity nodded her head in agreement and watched as Carter walked out of the room, Council Member Briggs following him out the door. Felicity turned toward Jeremy and said, “I’ll see you back at the office.” Jeremy and the rest of the meeting attendees left the conference room.

Oliver turned to Felicity and said, "Well done Deputy Mayor Smoak. I think you may have a few more members of the Felicity Smoak Fan Club." So long as they remember I'm the President, thought Oliver to himself.

Felicity laughed at Oliver's joke and said, "Um, well, I don't think anything I do is going to sway Council Member Briggs, but at least he did admit I could run a meeting."

Oliver looked down at Felicity, his eyes starting to darken and said, "You can do more than run a meeting Felicity. You're remarkable..." Oliver paused as Felicity's mouth formed a small 'O'. He loved that look on her face. It just made him want to wrap her up in his arms and kiss her. Get it together, Queen, he thought. He took a step back from her and lightened his tone, saying, "It's almost 5 p.m. I thought I'd go grab some Big Belly Burger and meet you down in the lair at 7 p.m.. Did you want me to pick you up anything?"

Felicity shook her head no and watched as Oliver Queen left the conference room. She stood there for a moment. She was proud of how she handled the meeting, even if seeing Council Member Briggs and Carter Bowen there unexpectedly. Why didn't Oliver say anything to me about Dr. Bowens' dinner-slash-lunch invitation, she wondered. I told him I was already gone, but I'm not gone-gone, she thought. A knock on the opened conference room door caught her attention. JJ had come back.

"Um, Deputy Mayor Smoak, Mayor Queen asked me to come back down here and to let you know that you shouldn't stay late tonight and that you should head home and rest. He said something about needing to work on his speech for the Relief Fund Auxiliary Event next week and that he too was going to head home early tonight," JJ relayed not completely understanding why Mayor Queen asked him to tell her all of that.

Felicity frowned at JJ and said, "Thanks JJ for relaying that message to me. I'll head up to the office with you, now." The pair headed back to the office. Mrs. Sanchez was gone and Oliver's office door was shut. JJ let Felicity know that he would see her tomorrow and he left. Felicity walked over to Oliver's office door and tried the knob. It was locked. She knocked on the door and said, "Oliver, are you there?" No response. Felicity sighed and walked back to her office. She sat down at her desk and pulled up her tablet. Well, she thought, if Oliver Queen doesn't want me in the Arrow Cave tonight, I'm fine staying right here, working on saving the City in the light. 

Felicity looked up at the clock in her office. It was already 10 p.m. Oh, frack, she thought. I need to get home and get some rest. She shut down everything in her office and closed her door. She headed down to exit the building. Thank goodness the loft is only three blocks away, she thought. She slung her purse up on her shoulder and started walking home. She made sure to stay in the light of the street lamps and would every few feet look in all directions, making sure she was aware of her surroundings. This feels like the longest three blocks I've ever walked before, she thought. She could see her building just across the street. She stood on the street corner waiting for the light to turn green so she could cross, when all of the sudden she heard rapidly approaching foot steps. As she turned around, someone shoved her out onto the street and grabbed her purse, running in the opposite direction. Felicity stumbled, but didn't fall. She shouted, "Hey, thief!" She heard a whoosh and then saw the purse snatcher lying on the ground, her purse right next to him. Then she heard an all too familiar modulated voice ask her, "Are you alright?" She shook her head yes and whispered, "Please don't hurt him."

The Green Arrow was standing right next to her. "I can't promise you that." He left her side and walked over to the would-be thief, grabbed her purse and brought it back to her. "He's just knocked out from bumping his head on the ground. You should call the police and report him."

Felicity shook her head no and said, "A lot of people are desperate right now. He didn't try to hurt me. He probably was hoping he could fence any electronic devices I carried with me and then max out my credit cards."

The Green Arrow replied, "A lot of desperate people aren't resorting to a life of crime. They're finding another way, too."

Felicity winced at those words being thrown back at her. She said softly, "Please just give him a warning and let him go."

The Green Arrow nodded his head at her, he untied the young man, shook him awake, put the fear of God into him and let him go. The kid took off running as fast as he could in the opposite direction of Felicity's building.

Felicity said, "Thank you for that."

The Green Arrow simply nodded his head and said, "Be careful crossing the street. You never know who you'll run into here."

Felicity smiled at him and headed to her building. Once inside the loft, she got ready for bed. She was exhausted, even though she had all sorts of different questions floating around in her head. Why didn't Oliver want her in the bunker tonight? She knew that he was still living there, but hoped that now that he was Mayor, he would take the money they had left over from the sale of the house in Ivy Town and use it as a down payment to buy himself a condo or apartment downtown. And what was up with Council Member Briggs and his obvious dislike of her? How come Carter Bowen kept asking her out? Did it bother Oliver? Did he even care? Felicity's eyes began to close and soon she fell asleep, completely unaware that the man she still loved sat out on her balcony watching her, making sure that what had happened earlier with the purse snatcher hadn't caused her anymore harm that night. If he only knew that his inaction earlier in the conference room when Carter Bowen asked her out had done more harm than the attempted purse-snatching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well what did you think?  
> Do you have any questions?  
> Please let me know. I love the interaction with the readers of my story.  
> Cheers!  
> V.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”
> 
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.
> 
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.
> 
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Five

Felicity woke up the next morning feeling like she could conquer the world. She had no idea why she slept so peacefully for the first time in weeks. All she knew was that today was going to be a great day, regardless of what life threw her way. She got up and started her day like normal. Once she was done with her morning rituals, she walked into the kitchen to grab her first cup of coffee and turned on the television to watch the local morning news show on Channel 52. She looked up on the screen and saw a clear, black and white photo of her smiling up at the Green Arrow. Felicity spit out her coffee. "How the frack did they get that picture?!" she said using her loud voice. She raised the volume on the television to hear the anchors speculating that perhaps the reason for the sudden break up between her and Oliver could have been the Green Arrow. "Yeah right," said Felicity out loud to herself. If they only knew that the Green Arrow had nothing to do with it. The real culprit was Oliver Queen himself. There was a knock on her door. She walked over and opened it. There stood JJ holding the morning's newspaper with a worried look on his face. Felicity said, "I take it you saw the news this morning?"

JJ nodded his head and handed her the newspaper. They both stood there in the doorway of the loft as she looked down at the paper he handed to her. There on the front page was a slightly clearer picture of her smiling her "Oliver has done something to make me happy smile", except that they had captured this look as she was looking at the Green Arrow. Ugh, she thought, how the heck did they capture that look? Is someone following me, she wondered? "Come on in, JJ," she invited him into the loft. "Would you like a cup of coffee?" she asked.

"No thank you, Ma'am," he replied. "I saw the news first thing this morning, got ready and came over to strategize our response to what happened last night." JJ hesitated for a moment and added, "There's already one news truck parked outside your building and likely another one or two on their way." JJ paused for a moment and asked, "I've got a phone call into the Mayor's Communications Director for assistance with our response. Can you tell me what exactly happened last night, anyway?"

Felicity thought to herself, anytime they want some PR hack involved, it must mean something bad will be a repercussion of the photo. Felicity sighed. "I was walking home from the office, some guy tried to steal my purse and the Green Arrow stopped him." Felicity looked at JJ, then continued, "He got my purse back for me, I thanked him and came home." 

JJ nodded his head and said, "Okay, well, this picture sort of looks like you have a major crush on him. I mean you're smiling from ear-to-ear in the photo."

Felicity looked at JJ, unsure of what to say. Of course I'm smiling from ear-to-ear you ninny. It's the love-of-my-life behind that mask who's just rescued me from a purse-snatcher. Fortunately, her cell phone rang before she could say anything. She looked down at it and saw Oliver's face smiling back at her. She answered the phone call and said, "Hello, Oliver."

JJ stood up, as if Oliver had just entered the room and it made Felicity smile.

Oliver said, "I take it you've seen the news coverage this morning of what happened last night?"

Felicity slowly rubbed her fingers over her forehead, and said simply, "Yes."

"I'm coming over to escort you to City Hall this morning," he replied.

Felicity looked at JJ and said, "JJ is here. He and I were just getting ready to walk to City Hall."

Oliver repeated himself, "I'm coming over to escort you to City Hall this morning, Felicity."

"Oliver, I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Felicity replied. "There's already at least one news crew out front and who knows how many are on their way."

Oliver sighed heavily, "Good idea or not, I'm still coming over to pick you up in my car and drive you into City Hall. There's already several cameras and paparazzi staked out on the steps of City Hall."

"How do you know that, Oliver?" Felicity asked.

"Because I just drove by and I'm almost to the front of our...I mean, your building. I'll meet you downstairs in the parking garage. Will JJ be with you?" he asked.

Felicity covered the phone, looked at JJ and said, "JJ I need you to go ahead. I'll meet you at the office."

JJ gave her a worried look, "But the reporters?"

Felicity smiled at him and said, "It's going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay. I'll meet you at the office in twenty minutes."

JJ nodded his head and left the loft.

Felicity answered Oliver, "JJ just left the loft and will meet us at the office. I'm grabbing my purse right now and heading toward the elevator. I'll be downstairs in a minute."

Oliver replied, "See you in a minute, Felicity," and ended the phone call.

Felicity stepped into the elevator and headed down to the sub-basement parking garage. Oliver was waiting for her there, standing next to his Porsche, this time with the top up. He opened her door for her and said with a low chuckle, "All this time being the Arrow and I've never been caught on film. Now, while stopping a purse-snatching, I get caught?" He shut her door and then ran over to his door and got into the car.

Felicity finished buckling her seat belt, looked at him and said, "I'm so sorry Oliver. It's all my fault. I should have just gone home from the office at 5 p.m. and not stayed late."

Oliver reached over to her and placed his hand on her hand. "I'm the one who should have apologized, Felicity. I let my own foolishness get in the way and told you to go home, instead of having you come down to the bunker for our normal night-time activities. If I hadn't done that, it would have just been like every other night and you would have gotten home without any issues."

Felicity looked down at Oliver's hand, looked back up at him and replied, "What do you mean foolishness?"

Oliver moved his hand from hers, back to his lap, wet his lips, looked at her and said, "After the meeting yesterday, I got into the elevator with Carter and Briggs. Carter's known me for a long time and knew I wasn't happy that he asked you out in front of me. He asked me if I had any words of advice to win you over."

Felicity gasped. Oh frack, Oliver, what did you do, she thought. She widened her gaze at him and asked, "What did you do, Oliver?"

Oliver chuckled, "I wanted to slam him against the elevator and knock him senseless." 

Felicity's eyes grew even larger. Oh, frackety, frack, frack to the Nth Dimension, she thought.

Oliver continued evenly, "Instead, I simply said, 'Tell her the truth. That's all she's ever wanted.'" Oliver sighed and said, "Once the elevator door opened at our floor, I exited and walked over to the office. I saw JJ already there at his desk. I asked him to go back down and let you know to take the night off."

Felicity sat back in her seat, furrowed her brow and looked at Oliver. You mean, all I've ever wanted was to be a part of any decision that impacts us, she thought. All I've ever wanted was for you to not think you have to do everything on your own. For you to realize that we are a team and that team will always be united...always.

Oliver looked at Felicity. He mistook her lack of response and furrowed brow for anger towards him and said, "I'm so sorry, Felicity. I was jealous of Carter and I took it out on you. If I hadn't reacted how I did and just let you do your job as Overwatch, none of this would have happened."

Oliver was jealous? I can't believe he actually admitted that to me, she thought. Do I tell him he has nothing to worry about? Felicity reached out to gently squeeze Oliver's arm, "If you hadn't been there, Oliver, I would have been mugged and maybe injured. I should be the one apologizing for staying at the office later than I should have and not calling a cab to drop me off at home. I should be the one thanking you for saving me."

Oliver looked down at her hand on his arm and said, "You never have to thank me, Felicity. I will always be there for you."

Felicity pulled back her hand, nervously smiled at him and added, "The picture was taken by someone with a high-powered lens, Oliver. They must have been following me since I left City Hall."

Oliver frowned. I sure could use Digg right now, he thought. "I'll have a security detail assigned to you, Felicity."

"I don't think that's the answer, Oliver. Remember, me Overwatch, you Green Arrow?" she replied cheekily. "I think we need to try and figure out who on earth would want me tailed and why are they taking pictures of me and leaking them to the press?"

Oliver replied, "Felicity, maybe tonight in the bunker you can take a look at the camera feeds on your walk home last night and see if you notice anything out of the ordinary?" 

Felicity smiled at Oliver and nodded her head in agreement. She asked, "So, should we get going to the office now?"

Oliver smiled at her and said, "As you wish..."

They exited the parking garage, arrived at City Hall's underground parking garage within minutes and headed up to their offices. Their phones were ringing constantly. Mrs. Sanchez looked up at Oliver and Felicity as they walked in and said, "Ms. Temple is waiting in your office for you both, Mr. Mayor."

Felicity gave Oliver a questioning look.

He replied, "Mavis Temple is our Director of Communications. She's probably been fielding media inquiries all morning. Come on, let's go talk to her."

Felicity and Oliver entered his office. There stood a tall, beautiful dark-skinned woman with long raven black hair and bright green eyes. Damn, Felicity thought to herself, this woman is gorgeous! She looked at Oliver to try and gauge his reaction to her, but he didn't even flinch. Who's the jealous one now, she thought.

Mavis Temple stepped forward and held out her hand to Felicity. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Deputy Mayor Smoak." 

Felicity shook her hand. 

Oliver came up beside her and asked, "Mavis, what has been City Hall's response to the situation this morning?"

Mavis turned her eyes toward Oliver and replied, "Nothing yet, Sir. However, I've crafted a written statement for you to either read or we can release it to the press." Mavis handed a piece of paper to Oliver. He gave it a quick once-over and handed it to Felicity for her review.

Felicity read out loud, "I want to thank the Green Arrow for coming to the aid of Deputy Mayor Felicity Smoak. His quick actions last night should be commended. I know that recent circumstances may have caused some of our citizens to feel that they have to resort to a life of crime to make ends meet, but I want to assure you that we are working hard to find solutions to our current troubles and that together we will all make Star City stronger and better, united under a common goal of peace and prosperity for all residents." Felicity looked up from the press release at Mavis, smiled and said, "Wow, can you write all of my speeches too?"

Mavis smiled at Felicity, turned to Oliver and asked, "So I take it that the statement meets with your approval too, Mr. Mayor?"

Oliver looked at Felicity who nodded her head in agreement, then Oliver replied, "Yes, Mavis, please go ahead and release the statement."

Mavis nodded her head and moved to exit the room. She stopped, turned around and came back to face Oliver and Felicity. "I'm sorry Mr. Mayor, but there is one more thing that we need to address."

Oliver looked at her and said, "What is it?"

Mavis looked at Felicity, then back at Oliver and said, "Once the statement is released, there will be more questions as to the status of your relationship with Miss Smoak. I don't mean to be indelicate here, but the press can be vicious sharks when they smell blood and right now, the photo which was published honestly looks like Miss Smoak has a thing for the Green Arrow."

Oliver desperately wanted to grin at Mavis' statement, but held it deep inside him. God, I hope so, he thought. He turned to look at Felicity.

Sensing Oliver's gaze, Felicity looked down at her toes and then back at him. She thought to herself, that's because I do have a thing for the Green Arrow and his alter ego, one Mr. Oliver Queen. She looked at Mavis and said solemnly, "I appreciate your honesty Ms. Temple. Oliver and I have already spoken about this before this incident even occurred. We will continue to ask for the press to please respect our privacy on such a personal matter. We do acknowledge that regardless of whatever our personal issues may be, we do agree that we can work together with the citizens of Star City to make it great once more. I wouldn't have agreed to be here, working at City Hall if I didn't believe that I could make a difference. I welcome this opportunity and look forward to seeing Star City return to being the jewel of the West Coast."

Mavis Temple smiled in approval and said, "I don't think you need any help with your speech-writing, Deputy Mayor Smoak. That was a great statement." She nodded her head at Oliver, exited his office and closed the door.

Felicity turned to Oliver and said, "Well, I should get back to my office to start my day. I have a meeting at 10 a.m. with both the Fire and Police Departments' interim Chiefs." She started to walk toward the door, stopped, turned around and asked, "Would you like to sit in on those meetings?" She saw a brief glimmer in his eye and then added, "I mean, it would be a great opportunity for our night-time jobs to learn a little bit more about the inner workings of both departments, especially now that we no longer have Quentin here to help us." Please Oliver, join me on this meeting she thought.

Oliver stood there looking at her. Does she want me to attend or is she just being polite, he wondered. Bite the bullet, Oliver, and tell her you'll follow her anywhere she wants to go, his inner voice said to him. He nodded his head yes and asked, "What conference room are you meeting in?"

Felicity smiled at him and replied, "We'll be meeting them in Conference Room D-2 on this floor. I asked JJ if we had any meeting space with a view and he suggested that room. He said it has a view of the ballpark and it got me thinking that with summer coming maybe it would be fun to...you know...maybe go catch a game?"

Oliver raised his eyebrows at her and tilted his head.

Felicity stammered, "I mean, um, as the Mayor, you know of Star City, that the Star City Rockets would probably love to have you attend a game and then maybe I don't know eat a hotdog or go hit a ball or two?" Felicity nervously fidgeted with the skirt of her dress and looked down at her shoes then up at Oliver.

Oliver smiled at her and asked, "Are you asking me out on date?"

Felicity looked shocked and said quickly, "What? Uh, no, I mean, well...a date would imply that we were going to go get dressed up and eat a meal together, although technically I suppose I would be eating a hotdog when you were eating a hotdog and although I don't envision that I would be in a dress and heels and you in your regular suit and tie combo. We would manage to likely be wearing clothing appropriate to the activity of watching a baseball game, although, I'm a little deficient in what would be deemed appropriate attire for attending a baseball game since I've never actually attended a baseball game before, let alone any other type of sporting event...unless you count that one lacrosse game I went to in college where I managed to pick up my very first stalker who caused me to file a restraining order to get him to finally leave me alone and in that instance I simply wore a pair of sweats and my favorite grey M.I.T. hoodie. Which, I don't think would help you win any supporters if I wore that to the game and you and I know that the voting public is a fickle beast that constantly needs to be fed, so you attending would, you know, give the public what they really want which is an opportunity to see their youthful and vigorous Mayor enjoying America's Favorite Pastime, right?" Felicity ended taking in a deep breath and giving Oliver a smile.

Oliver continued to smile at her and said, "You think I'm vigorous?"

Felicity's face turned crimson red. "I...uh, I meant to say dedicated. Yes, that's it, um, dedicated Mayor...who supports our beloved Rockets. Yes, that's what I meant."

Oliver smiled at Felicity and said simply, "I'll be there."

"Great!" she replied. "I'll make sure to let JJ know that you will be at our meeting at 10 a.m. and that he should coordinate with Mrs. Sanchez and Ms. Temple as to you attending an upcoming Rockets game."

"No Felicity," Oliver replied. "I meant that I'll go to the game with you."

'What?" Felicity said shocked again.

Oliver walked over towards her, leaned down, smiled and whispered in her ear, "I'll go to a Rockets game with you."

Felicity took a step back from him. Oh frack, frackiest frack, frack, she thought. Oliver is still giving me his 'Oliver Queen knows he's gotten something that he wants and is not budging' smile. Felicity squared her shoulders at Oliver and said, "I'm sorry, Oliver. I think you're misinterpreting my request."

Oliver gave her a questioning look and asked, "How so?"

"Well, for starters, you have a campaign to win in August, which means we only have three months to maintain voter confidence in you and your ability to lead this City. Second, we already know that you poll well with women." Oliver frowned at that comment, but Felicity continued, "So by going to the baseball game you should hopefully win more votes with the male population in Star City. Third, what better way than to remind people that baseball is a great family activity and with the city safer, what better way for them to spend a lovely Summer afternoon or evening. We can maybe work with the Rockets to lower tickets prices for general admission seats for the game and try to get as many families in the stands as possible."

"So you see this as a publicity stunt?" Oliver asked, the hurt in his voice apparent.

How do I answer his question, she thought. Yes, I don't want it to be a publicity stunt. But no, I don't want it to be a date either. I'm not ready for that...yet... Felicity strengthened her resolve and answered, "Why can't it just be two friends attending a baseball game, Oliver?"

Oliver tried his best to conceal the hurt behind his eyes. At least will be together, he thought. He stood tall and replied, "Sure thing, Felicity. Why don't you coordinate with Mrs. Sanchez, Mavis and JJ to make arrangements for us to attend a game." He turned away from her and walked back to his desk. Once he was seated he added, "Maybe you could see if a local youth organization would like to attend the game with us. I'm sure the kids would enjoy going to the game, too."

Felicity nodded her head at him and said, "Excellent idea, Mr. Mayor. I'll have my office coordinate the event." Felicity turned on her heel and headed toward the closed door.

Oliver said, "Just so you know, Felicity," Oliver paused and waited for her to turn around to face him. Once she was looking at him, he finished, "If you had asked me out on a date...I would have said yes."

Felicity felt tears starting to pool in her eyes. She nodded her head at him and left his office, closing the door behind her. She walked straight into her office and shut the door. She walked over to her window looking out over the plaza. The tears finally streaming down her face. Oh Oliver, she thought, what are we doing? There was a knock on her door. Felicity quickly wiped her tears and responded, "Yes?"

JJ opened the door and said, "Deputy Mayor, your meeting with the Chiefs starts in less than an hour. I went ahead and left your prep binder with their budgets, organizational charts and most recent issues for your review."

Felicity smiled at JJ and said, "Thank you, JJ. Please knock on my door ten minutes before the meeting starts to remind me."

"Sure thing, Ma'am," he replied, smiled and shut the door.

Felicity walked over to her desk, sat down and opened up the binder. Get a grip, Smoak, she thought. You wouldn't have agreed to work with Oliver in City Hall if you didn't think you could do it. Besides, you were the one who walked away from him. You were the one who told him your were already gone. Felicity sniffled as she tried to read the first page in front of her, but her inner voice wouldn't let her. It kept talking to her. You stayed, it said. Everyone else left, and you stayed. You're not so gone are you, Smoak, she thought to herself. She said softly to herself, "I'm not gone. I'm right here, Oliver."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”
> 
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.
> 
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.
> 
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Six

There was a knock on Felicity's door at exactly 9:50 a.m.

Felicity answered, "Come in."

JJ entered her office and said, "It's ten minutes to, Deputy Mayor Smoak."

"Thank you, JJ," she replied. "I'll head to the conference room in minute." JJ nodded his head to her and then Felicity added, "Oh, JJ?"

"Yes, Ma'am?" JJ replied.

"Can you please make sure that we have some bottled water available in the conference room?" she asked.

"Water, Assorted soft-drinks and some sweet and salty snacks, but no nuts, are already in the room," JJ answered.

Felicity smiled at him. This kid is amazing, she thought. "Good job, JJ. I hope you'll be there to take notes?"

"Yes, Ma'am, I'll be there," he smiled and shut her door.

Felicity stood up grabbed the binder, her tablet and headed to the conference room a few minutes early. She dropped off her items in the conference room next to where JJ was already sitting and stepped out to the Ladies Room. On her way back, her phone started vibrating in her pocket. She slipped it out and saw that Curtis Holt was calling her. Felicity smiled and answered the phone, "Hi Curtis!"

"Hey Felicity! I'm so glad you answered my phone call," Curtis replied.

Felicity smiled and said, "Of course! What's up?"

"Well, I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to come right out and say it because you know, nothing like jumping in feet first when you're on to something, and you know me, I hate a mystery am I right?" he said.

Felicity smiled. She could imagine Curtis holding up his hand waiting for the corresponding high-five to occur. Ugh, she thought, now I know what it must be like for the rest of the team when I start babbling. "Yes, Curtis, you and I both hate mysteries. Now why don't you tell me what's got you all worked up because I have to go back into a meeting," she replied.

"Aye-Aye, Deputy Mayor Smoak...or do I say Yes Sir, I mean Ma'am?" he asked.

"Curtis!" Felicity said in her semi-loud voice. Several heads in the hallway turned to look at her standing there. Felicity looked around and blushed. "Curtis, please get to the point already. I have a meeting to get to."

"Sorry, Felicity. Okay, it's just that I saw the news this morning and couldn't help but notice that the picture had to have been taken from a location fairly close to where you were standing. I walked over to your apartment building this morning and scoped out a couple of different locations which could be the correct vantage point for the photo. I've written down my notes for you regarding location of security cameras around your building. I can email them to you if you'd like, you know so that maybe you could, you know, do your thing and see if their recordings also managed to catch who took the photo? I mean, it could be that they were directly across the street from your apartment building," Curtis said.

"Thank you, Curtis," Felicity replied. "Please email me your notes and I'll take a look at what you've discovered." Felicity sighed. Why is someone following me, she wondered. Then she told Curtis that if she found anything, she would let him know.

Curtis replied, "Felicity, I know that you've been busy helping Oliver run the City now, but I wanted to let you know that regardless of what happened here at Palmer Tech, I've still got your back."

Felicity smiled and said, "Thank you, Curtis. You have no idea how much that means to me." Felicity paused for a moment and then added, "Hey Curtis, I just remembered something. My new assistant has a younger sister who is really interested in what we...I mean you do at Palmer Tech. Would you mind taking her on a tour of the lab and talking to her about what you are working on lately?"

"Sure thing, Felicity. Just let me know when and I'd be happy to do it." Curtis replied. The two of them said good-bye and Felicity walked back into the conference room. She walked over to the acting-Fire Chief and the acting-Chief of Police and introduced herself to them. They had each brought with them their own Deputies to participate in the briefing. Just as they were getting ready to sit down, Oliver entered the room. Everyone immediately stood up. 

Oliver smiled and said, "Please, everyone, stay seated. I apologize for being late."

"No worries, Mr. Mayor," replied Felicity. "We were just finishing up introductions."

Oliver nodded his head at Felicity and took the seat opposite of hers, at the other end of the table. Felicity nodded her head at Oliver and started the meeting. She had the Police Chief brief them on the status of the current Police Force and what areas were currently deficient. She requested the same information from the Fire Chief. They knew that the recent battle with H.I.V.E. had decimated both forces and that their concern right now was being adequately able to respond to any crisis. The Police Chief said,   
"Honestly, right now, I'd love to be able to shake the hand of the Green Arrow and the rest of his team. Without them, I know we would never have been able to survive everything that happened."

Felicity did her best not to blush, but she did allow a slight smile to appear on her face. She looked down the table at Oliver, who sat there, fully in control of his emotions, not even registering a sparkle or glint in his eye. Felicity quickly recomposed herself,turned toward the Police Chief and asked, "Chief, I'm sure that you must be aware of what happened when I was walking home last night from City Hall?"

The Chief and his Deputy nodded their heads. Felicity asked, "You've relayed to us that your police force took a tremendous hit fighting H.I.V.E., but do you think that you have enough police officers to adequately patrol this city?"

The Chief shook his head and said, "Honestly, no. My biggest concern right now is that even common everyday crimes like auto theft, burglaries and muggings are currently going un-investigated because we simply don't have the manpower to protect this city."

Felicity looked at the Fire Chief and asked, "Do you have the same problem?"

The Fire Chief looked at Felicity and replied, "Yes. Our biggest fear right now is that there would be a fire outbreak and we wouldn't have enough ladders or firefighters to put in the field to combat it." She paused and added, "The other issue is that a good portion of the City's infrastructure was destroyed in the blast last week. Running water is only available in Downtown and the areas east of where we are located right now. Everything close to the harbor and the former water treatment facility are in ruins. Those people who lived near there are either dead or have been relocated to one of the many shelters Emergency Services were able to construct." The Fire Chief looked at the Police Chief and then she added, "Mr. Mayor, Deputy Mayor Smoak, this is bigger than all of us. We really need assistance from the state and federal government to help us with this."

The Police Chief nodded his head in agreement, looked at Oliver and said, "If you could get the Governor to declare Star City a disaster area, then we could get FEMA here to help us deal with this devastation." 

Oh, God, she thought to herself, Havenrock is the real devastated area. Tens of thousands of lives were lost that day. No disaster declaration will bring any of them back, she thought. They were vaporized upon impact, Felicity shuddered.

Oliver looked at the Police Chief and Fire Chief very thoughtfully. He could see that Felicity was affected by what they had just requested. Oliver took control of the meeting and said, "I understand that your recommendation is to request the disaster declaration." They nodded their heads in unison at him. Oliver looked at the Fire Chief and said, "Please draft an appropriate disaster declaration request letter and have it on my desk by 3 p.m. today."

The Fire Chief smiled and said, "Thank you, Sir. I'll have it to you by then." She stood up and reached over to shake Oliver's hand. Oliver shook her hand and said, "Your recommendation makes sense and is a necessary step in helping us rebuild our City."

The Police Chief shook Oliver's hand too and said, "We appreciate you're willingness to hear us out and get us the resources we need to protect Star City."

Oliver nodded his head at the Police Chief and replied, "No, Chief, we appreciate you and everything that both the Police and Fire Departments do and risk on a daily basis." Oliver shook his hand. 

The Police Chief and Fire Chief and both of their Deputies reached over and shook Felicity's hand and left the conference room. Felicity sat back down in her chair, closed her eyes and used her fingers to rub her forehead and temples. Oliver walked over to JJ and let him know that they would meet him back at the office. JJ nodded his head, left the room and closed the door, Oliver walked over to Felicity and asked, "Hey, are you alright?"

Felicity looked up at Oliver, tears barely being held back by her eyelids, shook her head no and sobbed. All Felicity could think about was how much better off Star City was than Havenrock. That everything that had occurred at Havenrock was her fault. She was the one who had re-targeted that missile. She was the one who chose the fate of those poor innocent people. 

Oliver reached for Felicity's shoulder and gently squeezed. He knew she was replaying her decision to re-route the missile to explode in Havenrock versus Monument Point. "Hey, you know that what happened last week, wasn't your fault, right?"

Felicity swiveled away from Oliver, stood up, sniffled, wiped her eyes and said, "What I know, Oliver, is that you and Lyla both have reminded me that what happened..." She paused, took a breath and continued, "that what happened could have been much worse if I hadn't done what I did." She looked directly at Oliver and said, "But I did do it." Felicity started pacing around the conference room. "I chose to mess with the GPS satellite and make the missile miss it's intended target of Monument Point and instead destroy Havenrock." Felicity stood by the window with the view of the ballpark. While looking out the window, she continued speaking to Oliver, "It doesn't change the fact that I am the person who decided that the lives in Havenrock weren't worth as much as those who lived in Monument Point."

Oliver walked over to Felicity. He placed his hands on her shoulders and said, "Felicity, you saved millions of people that day."

Felicity couldn't look at him. She looked down at her toes, instead. 

Oliver continued, "Remember, I'm the one who always blames himself for what is wrong in the world." Please Felicity, he thought to himself, please let me comfort you. Please let me reassure you that you are not to blame for what happened.

Felicity looked up at him and whispered, "Yeah, but this time you're innocent. I'm the guilty one." Oh Oliver, why won't you just hug me, she thought. Felicity looked away and walked back over to the table to grab her belongings.

Oliver, still standing by the window asked, "Have you made the appointment with the counselor, Lyla recommended to you?"

Felicity shook her head no and replied, "I'm not ready yet, Oliver, to talk about it with a stranger."

Oliver walked toward her and said, "Felicity, the counselor is someone Lyla uses for A.R.G.U.S." He paused once he reached where she was standing next to the table, then said, "If you ever want to talk about what happened, you can always talk to me."

Felicity looked up at Oliver and smiled. She thought, I want to tell you so much, Oliver, but I can't right now. Not yet. "Thank you, Oliver. I really appreciate it." Felicity finished gathering her items for the meeting and walked out of the room.

Oliver stood there, watching her leave. Please, talk to me Felicity, he thought to himself. Please let me help you.

At the end of the day, Oliver walked over to Felicity's office and let her know that he was going to head over to the bunker and would meet her there. Felicity nodded in agreement and finished working on condensing the reports she had received from the Public Works Department that afternoon. She shut down her computer and left her office. As she took the elevator down to the underground garage, she remembered that she hadn't driven herself that morning and that she had ridden with Oliver to work instead. She waited until the elevator reached the garage level and then pushed the elevator button back to get her to back up to the main lobby level. Once there, security let her know that there were still several TV crews outside the building. Felicity sighed, "I may as well get this over with," she said to the security guard. He let her know that he had a taxi cab waiting for her at the curb to take her home. She thanked the guard and headed out of the building. The news crews were startled by her sudden appearance and rushed to meet her as she headed down the steps of City Hall.

"Miss Smoak, what is the status of your relationship with the vigilante?"

"Did the Green Arrow come between you and Mayor Queen?"

"Do you have a thing for men wearing masks?"

"How long have you know each other and when did you become a couple?"

Ugh! Felicity thought. I just want to get to the cab. The camera flashes seemed to get brighter and more intense as she walked down the steps. She could see the cab parked at curb waiting for her. The reporters continued to follow her asking their questions, which she pointedly ignored. Once she made it to the cab, she opened the door, scooted in and asked the cab driver to drop her off at her building. When they arrived there, more reporters and paparazzi were waiting for her. She called the building's security desk. They met the cab once it arrived and helped Felicity dodge the reporters. She headed up to the loft and once there, called Oliver. She let him know that she would have to man the comms from the loft as the media was still making a big to-do about the photo from earlier. Oliver told her he understood, but she could hear the disappointment in his voice. Or, at least, I think I heard disappointment, she thought. Fortunately, it was a fairly calm night. There had only been robbery in progress at a local hardware store and then a couple of potential car thefts that the Green Arrow was able to thwart. Oliver called it a night and she shut down her monitors. She was exhausted. She told herself that she would work on the security cameras tomorrow from the office. Just as she was starting to get ready for bed, she remembered something. Oh crap, Felicity, she thought. You've got lunch plans tomorrow with Dr. Carter Bowen!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”
> 
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.
> 
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.
> 
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Seven

Felicity woke up the next morning and got ready for work. She was dreading going to lunch with Dr. Carter Bowen. Why oh why did I ever agree to have lunch with him, she thought. She turned on the morning news to see if interest in her supposed love life had finally died down. Not a single story was about her. Felicity breathed a sigh of relief. She double checked her phone to see if there were any messages and found none, which caused a flutter of disappointment in her heart. I guess this means I'm walking to work today. She put her phone and tablet in her bag and headed down to City Hall. As she walked up the steps, not a single roving reporter or photographer paid her any attention. Wow, the media really are fickle creatures, she chuckled to herself.  
Once she was up in the office, Mrs. Sanchez was already working at her desk. Felicity wished her a good morning and asked, "Is the Mayor in yet, Mrs. Sanchez?"

Mrs. Sanchez nodded her head yes and asked, "Would you like me to let him know that you're here?"

Felicity shook her head no and replied, "That's okay. I'll catch up with him at our usual 9 a.m. meeting. I've got a few last minute items to add to the reports he needs." Felicity smiled at Mrs. Sanchez, walked into her office, closed the door and worked on finishing the Executive Summary she was creating for Oliver and the members of the Public Works Committee. Felicity looked up once she heard the knocking on her office door. "Come in," she replied. The door opened. She looked up to see who was there and gasped. She saw the largest bouquet of tropical flowers she had ever seen. There were Birds of Paradise, Hibiscus, Orchids, and flurry of other flowers she remembered seeing when she and Oliver had visited Bali last summer. She smiled at the memory and thought that Oliver was trying to brighten her day. She couldn't wait to tell him that he had succeeded!

"Um...Deputy Mayor Smoak," she heard JJ ask from behind the beautiful blooms, "Could you please tell me where you want me to place these?"

Felicity smiled and answered, "Please place them over here on the table by the window." 

JJ walked over and carefully placed the flowers there. Then he left her office, leaving the door open.

Felicity walked over to the table and noticed there was a card sticking out amidst the blooms. She opened it and read to herself, Looking forward to our lunch date! C.B. Felicity frowned. They weren't from Oliver. Disappointed, she stared at the card one more time, willing it to have the initials changed to read O.Q. Someone cleared their throat, startling her. She jumped back a little and dropped the card on the table next to the flowers' vase.

"That's a beautiful arrangement," said Oliver. "Are they from anyone special?" Oh, come on Queen, Oliver thought, mentally kicking himself. Don't get jealous, maybe they're just from Donna, he thought.

Felicity blushed. "Oh, um...no, no one special."

Oliver noticed the blush and thought, she's doesn't want me to know who they're from. Okay, that rules out Donna. He looked at her and placed his hands in his pockets so she wouldn't see him rubbing his middle finger against his thumb, his tell-tale sign that he was nervous. It must be from someone special to her and she's probably not wanting to say anything so as not to hurt my feelings. He nodded his head and said, "Okay, then...are you ready to go over our schedules for the day?"

Felicity nodded her head and said, "Yes, definitely. I'll meet you in your office in just a moment. First let me grab my tablet and JJ and we will be there in just one minute."

Oliver pursed his lips, started to turn away from her and said, "See you in my office."

Felicity walked back over to her desk, grabbed her tablet and then she and JJ headed into Oliver's office. Mrs. Sanchez was already sitting there frowning. Mavis Temple was also in the room. Mavis was standing next to Oliver by the window looking out over the plaza down below. Oliver had said something and Mavis was laughing and flashing the brightest smile at Oliver. Oliver smiled back at her and now it was Felicity's turn to clear her throat.

Oliver looked over at Felicity and said, "Great, you're here. Now, we can get this meeting started." Oliver had moved several chairs into a circle. He took the chair next to Mrs. Sanchez and Mavis sat on his other side.

Felicity sat down across from him and JJ sat on her right side. Why do I get the feeling I'm about to negotiate something, she thought.

Mrs. Sanchez started the meeting by reviewing Oliver's calendar for the day. At 10 a.m. was the weekly Department Directors meeting. At 11:30 a.m. he was scheduled to have lunch with a group of investors to talk about plans to finish redeveloping The Glades.

"Are you sure you don't need me to attend that meeting, Mr. Mayor?" Felicity asked looking directly at Oliver. Come on, Oliver, help a girl out here, she thought. Then she looked at Mavis who hadn't stopped smiling at Oliver and thought, unless you've already moved on...

Oliver tilted his head at her and gave her a questioning look. Is she trying to find a way to get out of lunch with that weasel, Carter Bowen, he wondered. Yes, absolutely, he thought, I would love for you to attend that meeting with me.

JJ spoke up and said, "I'm sorry Deputy Mayor Smoak, but you already have a lunch appointment calendared for today at 11:30 a.m. with Dr. Bowen to discuss potential avenues for gaining funding from the federal government to rebuild Star City." JJ smiled at her, nodded his head in the direction of her office and whispered, "Remember, flower arrangement almost as tall as me?" He wiggled his eyebrows up and down at her and smiled. 

Felicity blushed again and said half-heartedly, "Thanks for the reminder, JJ."

JJ smiled and said, "Of course, Deputy Mayor." 

Oliver frowned, then composed himself quickly. So that's who the flowers were from. That rat, Oliver thought. "It's okay, I can handle the meeting with the investors regarding The Glades." He looked at Felicity, smiled his patented Ollie Queen smile and said, "You should go to lunch with Carter. We are going to need all the funding we can muster to rebuild this city." Oliver sighed and added, "If he's aware of anything that could potentially help us, then I think.. I think that you should meet with him."

Felicity looked at him in disbelief. Did he really mean it, she wondered. She looked at Mrs. Sanchez who was still frowning, only now she was frowning at Oliver. "Um, okay. I'll meet with Dr. Bowen and then how about you and I meet at 2 p.m. to discuss what we learned?"

Oliver sat up in his chair and Mrs. Sanchez gave Felicity a soft, warm smile.

"I'm sorry," said Mavis. "But the Mayor and I are supposed to be meeting with the editorial board of the Star City Recorder at 2 p.m."

It was Felicity's turn to frown. She looked at Oliver and said, "Oh, okay, then...um, how about we meet when you get back from the Editorial Board?"

"Sorry, the Mayor has to attend the Glades Memorial Relief Fund Gala tonight," Mavis replied. "I've been working on his opening remarks all week. The Mayor of Star City is the Honorary Chair of this fundraiser and it would be detrimental to his upcoming election campaign if he were to snub this event."

Felicity sat back in her chair. The world almost ended and Oliver Queen has to go to some charity event tonight, she wondered in disbelief. Do the people in this town not remember how much peril they were in last week, she thought.

Oliver looked at Mavis and replied quite cheekily, "Mavis, it only takes me about 30 minutes to get ready for a gala." He looked at Felicity and said, "Besides, I can't attend the event without having the Deputy Mayor also there."

Felicity blushed. Is Oliver Queen asking me to be his date, she wondered.

"Of course, Mr. Mayor," Mavis replied. She smiled at Felicity and added, "All the members of your team will be there to support you."

Felicity said with a tinge of disappointment, "Sure, I'm happy to attend as the newest member of the Mayor's Team to rebuild Star City." Then she added, "If I'm going to have to go to a formal event tonight, then perhaps we should put off comparing notes from our respective meetings until we get back in the office on Monday? Besides, I'm going to need to more than 30 minutes to make myself presentable for the event" Felicity chuckled.

Oliver frowned and said, "I'm sure you will look..." Get a grip Oliver and tell her she'll look beautiful no matter what she wears, he thought. "I'm sure you will look your best for the event, Felicity." Wuss, he thought to himself.

"Well, then, um, okay," Felicity replied. "Is there anything else we need to review, Mr. Mayor?" she asked.

Mrs. Sanchez grumbled in her chair and coughed while saying something that Felicity didn't quite catch. Whatever it was, Oliver Queen had a look on his face like he had just been taken to the wood shed.

Oliver replied, "No Miss Smoak. I look forward to seeing you tonight at the event."

Felicity stood up, JJ stood right next to her, she nodded her head at him and they left Oliver's office. Felicity went straight to her office and JJ followed.

"Is there anything you need me to do, Deputy Mayor?" JJ asked.

"Yes, JJ, there is," replied Felicity. "I need you to call this phone number, ask for Rita and let her know I need the works done at 4 p.m. today."

JJ gave her a curious look, took the phone number and walked back to his desk to make the appointment.

Felicity sat at her desk. Okay, girl, you need to become an expert on federal disaster relief funding in two hours to make sure the good Dr. Bowen doesn't try to pull a fast on one you, she thought.

A little after 11 a.m., JJ knocked on Felicity's door and announced that Dr. Bowen was there to see her. Felicity told him to give her a few minutes. She needed to finalize the Public Works Committee's Executive Summary and email it to the committee members. 

Once that was sent, she grabbed her purse and tablet and headed to the reception area. Dr. Bowen looked very handsome standing there, Felicity thought to herself. She walked up to him, stuck her hand out and said, "Good to see you, Dr. Bowen."

He took her hand, smiled and replied, "The pleasure is all mine."

Felicity pulled her hand away from his, "Oh, and thank you for the lovely flowers."

Carter smiled even brighter and said, "I'm so glad you liked them. They reminded me of a trip I took to the Philippines to build a cost-free health clinic in a small city just outside Manila. The people were so friendly, generous and giving, just like you."

Felicity smiled weakly and said, “Thanks, Dr. Bowen.”

“Oh no,” Carter replied, “Please call me Carter.”

“Okay, then, Carter,” responded Felicity, “we should get going to grab lunch. I have another appointment set for 1 p.m. that I do not want to be late for.”

Carter smiled and escorted Felicity out of City Hall. As they were walking down the steps, she asked, “So where are we going exactly for lunch?”

Carter smiled and said, “I made a reservation at Russo’s.”

Great, thought Felicity. I love Italian food and he just had to pick the very restaurant Oliver and I had that ill-fated first date. What could make this lunch any worse, she wondered.

Upon reaching the restaurant, Carter assisted Felicity out of his town car. Someone must have alerted the paparazzi, because the minute Felicity’s feet hit the pavement, the flashes from their cameras started to dazzle her eyes. Carter placed his arm around her and hugged her tight to him as they walked into the restaurant. 

Felicity looked up at Carter and said, “Thank you.” 

Carter still holding her close to him, looked down at her, smiled and replied, “Just consider me your knight in shining armor.”

Felicity laughed and Carter continued, “I’m just happy I was able to hopefully shield you from most of that. Those damn paparazzi are always following me, splashing my picture on practically every page of their tabloids.”

Once inside the restaurant, they were led to a small table for two close to the window. Are the Fates conspiring against me, wondered Felicity. She looked at the surrounding tables and saw that Oliver was smiling and sitting with Mavis Temple and two other older, but very beautiful ladies. Those are the investors for The Glades, Felicity thought to herself. She hurriedly followed Carter and the waiter to their table. This is roughly the same area in the restaurant Oliver and I sat before the explosion, she remembered to herself. The waiter handed her the menu to review. 

“Felicity, is everything alright?” Carter asked.

Felicity put her menu down and replied, “Yes, of course. I’m perfectly fine. I just haven’t been here in a while and wanted to see if they still have my favorite dish on the menu.” No, I am not fine you ninny. The man I love is seated less than 50 feet away from me, surrounded by a group of women who all look like they can’t wait to see him shirtless, she thought. “Have you decided what you are going to order?”

Just then, the waiter came back to their table to place their order. Felicity ordered the pasta primavera and reminded the waiter that she had a serious nut allergy so to please let the Chef know not to use any nuts in the preparation of her meal. The server assured Felicity that they were prepared to handle all food allergies and left to place their order.

Felicity looked at Carter and asked him about what avenues of federal funding did he have in mind for the City to go after to help with the rebuilding process. Carter proceeded to explain how during his time at Princeton, he spent a year interning with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and was their point person on coordinating funding for all disaster declaration areas west of the Rockies. He still had several contacts within FEMA that had survived the different Presidential Administrations and that he had already been in contact with several of them regarding fast-tracking the Star City disaster declaration process which would in turn allow for an immediate response of much needed FEMA dollars to help with the recovery. Their meal arrived and they began to eat. 

Felicity reached for her water glass and was nodding her head as Carter was talking about wanting to volunteer to coordinate the relief effort locally, when Felicity froze. Oh no, she thought. She looked at Carter with her eyes wide open and said, “There’s something wrong.”

Carter looked at Felicity and saw the fear in her eyes. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

She started gasping. “Nuts…there must have been nuts in the sauce…”

Carter stood up and shouted, “Felicity!” Carter turned to the waiter and yelled, “Call 9-1-1!”

Felicity fumbled for her hand bag, frantically searching for the Epi Pen she always carried with her.

“Do you have an Epi Pen?” Carter asked worriedly.

Then she felt a soothing hand on her shoulder. She looked up quickly, Oliver was standing next to her. “Give me your bag, Felicity.”

She handed him her purse. He unzipped the side compartment, pulled out the Epi-Pen and jammed it into her thigh. 

Carter kneeled down on the other side of her and grabbed Felicity’s hand. He told her, “You’re going to be okay, Felicity. You’ve gotten your medication. You’re going to be okay.”

Felicity felt her eyes closing as she heard Oliver say, “Don’t leave me, Felicity. Please don’t leave me…”

Felicity opened her eyes and noticed that she was not at home. She was in a hospital bed. She looked around. She was by herself. She took as deep a breath in as she could before it made her cough uncomfortably. The room was dark, only lit by the faint glow of the lights from the neighboring high rises. She was in Star City General. A place she knew well, unfortunately, she thought.

There was a slight knock on her door. She said softly and raspy, “Come in”

In walked Carter Bowen, in his full M.D. mode. Felicity couldn’t hide her disappointment so she looked out the window at the night time view of the Star City skyline.

“How’s my patient doing?” Carter asked.

She turned back to look at Carter and replied with a smile, “I’ve got to be honest with you Doctor, I’ve had worse first dates.” She mentally face palmed herself when she saw how brightly that made him smile. Smoak, what are you doing she asked herself. She looked up when she heard another knock on the doorway of her hospital room. 

“Can I come in?” asked Oliver. He was standing there in all of his tuxedo glory. Felicity couldn’t help herself when she sighed ever so slightly at the sight of him. I bet he has his suspenders on underneath that jacket, she thought. She pushed herself up into a sitting position.

Carter replied, “I’m sorry, Oliver. I need to check Felicity’s vital signs first, before she can have visitors.”

Felicity raised an eyebrow at Carter and said, “It’s okay, Carter. Oliver can be here for that.” 

Then she heard another voice just outside her room, “Oliver…I mean, Mr. Mayor, I need to release a statement about Deputy Mayor Smoak’s condition.”

Mavis! What’s she doing here, Felicity wondered. Mavis stepped into the doorway of Felicity's room. She was wearing a beautiful green halter dress with a slit up her leg to almost mid thigh. Oh, crap, thought Felicity, she looks amazing. She looked at Carter and said, “Perhaps, you should go outside and help Ms. Temple deal with the media regarding your assistance during my allergy attack at the restaurant, Carter?”

Carter looked over to where Mavis was standing. Felicity couldn’t help but notice that glint in his eye. She knew his interest was now piqued in the direction of the City’s Communications Director. My, my, thought Felicity. What a fickle creature you are Dr. Bowen! Thank God! Carter exited and closed the door to Felicity’s room to help Mavis deal with the media. No doubt ready to play out the whole Hero Doctor role he so coveted, Felicity thought.

Oliver walked over and sat down in the chair next to her bed, reached for her hand and said, “I had hoped that the next time I saw you in a hospital bed,” Oliver paused for a moment. She isn’t pulling her hand away from mine, he thought. Do I dare admit that the only way I ever wanted to see her in a hospital bed again was after giving birth to our child? Come on, Oliver. Just tell her. She’s right here with you. She’s not gone.

He is obviously debating in his head how to finish that sentence, Felicity thought. She smiled at him and rubbed her thumb gently along his finger.

Then he continued, “it would be because we were welcoming a new addition to our family.”

Felicity sucked in a deep breath and said, “Oh!” Holy crap, Oliver Queen. That’s not mincing words, she thought. “Oliver…” Felicity began.

“I’m sorry, Felicity. I shouldn’t have said that to you,” and he started to pull his hand away from hers and stand up from the chair next to her bed.

Felicity held tight onto his hand and sighed. She looked up at him and replied, “I’m glad that you did.”

It was Oliver’s turn to gasp and he sat back down next to her. “What do you mean, Felicity?”

Felicity weaved her fingers through his and said, “I mean...that I’m tired Oliver. I’m tired of doing this little dance that we do.”

Oliver tilted his head at her in confusion. Do I dare hope that she still loves me, Oliver wondered. Is there hope that she's ready to give us another try?

“When I gave you back the ring a few months ago, I was really hurt,” she said while maintaining as tight a grasp on his hand as she could. “But since then, I’ve learned a lot about some things that I thought were black and white and now know that they have shades of grey.” Oliver scooted the chair closer to her bed. He didn’t want to interrupt her so he just nodded his head at her and she continued, “I thought my Father abandoned me and my Mom. But now, I know that my Mom was the one who took me away from him. I wasn’t given a choice in the matter. My father has since let me know that he kept tabs on me and what I was up to, but he never once tried to contact me. He could have if he really wanted to, but he didn’t. He chose not to be a part of my life." Felicity paused for a moment and took a deep breath in and exhaled. She continued, “When you decided to send William away without talking to me about it. I wasn’t given a choice in the matter. You made that decision without any input from me, the person who you loved and wanted to spend the rest of your life with…start a family with...”

“What are you trying to tell me, Felicity?” Oliver asked softly. I was just trying to keep William safe, he thought.

“I’m saying that I realize now that my Mom did what she did because she was trying to protect me. I realize now that you did what you did with William because you were trying to protect him too.” She looked at Oliver with tears in her eyes. She sniffled and said, “I recently had to make a choice too. I didn’t ask anyone else’s opinion about what I needed to do. I just did it and condemned thousands of people to death in order to save millions of lives. I decided to save Monument Point. I chose to divert that missile to Havenrock. I did it to protect the greater good.” She looked down at their intertwined fingers and said, “Lyla told me I made the right call and deep down, I knew she was right. But the guilt of that decision is what I feel now. It’s the weight on my shoulders I carry every day with me.” Felicity sniffled and wiped away the tears that were starting to stream down her face. She said, “As I think back to all those times you had to go to Central City, you were going to see William. To get to know the son that was taken away from you. Something that you weren't given an opportunity to make a choice about by your mother or Samantha. When Samantha told me it was her fault that you kept the knowledge about William to yourself, I couldn’t accept that. She tried to explain to me that she gave you, once again, no choice in the matter and that if you wanted the opportunity for any type of relationship with your son, you had to do what she wanted. So you chose to keep me in the dark about William. I can only imagine the amount of guilt that must have weighed on your shoulders."

Oliver silently nodded his head in agreement. Let her finish, Oliver thought. Do not interrupt her.

Felicity paused, took a breath and said, "I never gave you an opportunity to make a choice either, Oliver. I was your judge and jury in our relationship. I chose to walk away. I chose not to fight for what we had. I chose to ignore your words of love and contrition. I told you that I was already gone. But I'm not gone, Oliver. I'm right here. I stayed. When everyone else left, I was the one who stayed." Felicity looked at Oliver to gauge his reaction. He looked stunned. At least he's still holding my hand, she thought.

Oliver looked down at their intertwined fingers and started to gently stroke her hand with his thumb. "Does this mean that you are willing to give me another chance?"

Felicity shook her head no and said, "I don't want anymore chances, Oliver. Chance gives to much discretion to an individual's choice." Felicity sat up straighter in her hospital bed and said, "I'd like for us to start over, from the very beginning. I'd like for us to work on our friendship first and see where that takes us."

Oliver nodded his head in agreement. This was the most Felicity had been willing to discuss about their relationship since she gave him back the ring in the bunker. Oliver admitted, "I don't know if I could handle losing you a final time, Felicity."

Felicity looked at him and replied, "I don't want to lose you either, Oliver." She squeezed his hand and said, "What I do know is that we both need to agree that we will not take away each other's ability to choose or to make a decision on behalf of the other without consultation. Do you think that we can do this Oliver?"

Oliver sat there silently, contemplating Felicity's every word to him. This was not going to be easy for him. He knew that for so long he was the one who always had to make the tough choices, the sacrifices necessary to carry out his mission, his mission to save Star City. Could he do this? Could he agree to this? Oliver looked at Felicity. His heart in his eyes. His eyes rimmed with unshed tears. He slowly moved his head and said one simple and heartfelt word, "Yes."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Eight

When Felicity awoke that morning, she found Oliver sound asleep, in the chair next to her hospital bed, his hand still gently holding on to hers. Felicity smiled. She missed him. She knew she saw him every day at work, both at the bunker and now at City Hall, but at least now, maybe she would get a small reprieve from the tangible tension that surrounded them these past few months since she had given him back the ring. A reprieve for them to rediscover each other, together. Oh Oliver, she thought, you didn’t even leave to change out of your tuxedo. She could see the black straps of his suspenders, her favorite accessory of his, digging into his shoulders as he slept. Felicity sighed and then moved to sit up in her bed. 

The sudden movement woke Oliver up. He had spent the night, sleeping in the chair next to Felicity's bed. Even though the nursing staff was coming in and out of Felicity's room every few hours to check on her, Oliver could safely attest that it was the best night of sleep he had gotten in a very long time. He opened his eyes to see Felicity smiling at him. It was a morning sight he had not seen in a very long time. It made him happy.

"Good morning, Oliver," Felicity said quietly and squeezed his hand.

Oliver smiled at her and said, "Good morning to you too. How are you feeling?"

Felicity stretched and yawned, "I'm okay. Tired from them checking in on me all night, but I feel okay."

"Do you need me to get the nurses for you or grab you a cup of coffee?" asked Oliver.

Felicity smiled at him and said, "Coffee sounds wonderful."

Oliver smiled at her, stood up and said, "I'll be right back." Oliver left to go grab some coffee from the hospital coffee kiosk located just down the hall on the other side of the nurses station. Today is the first day Felicity and I work our way back to each other, he thought. Oliver smiled to himself as he approached the coffee vendor. I have to be patient and I have to give her as much time as she needs. I do not want to rush her. Oliver purchased the coffee and headed back to her room. When he arrived back at her room, the door was partially shut. He noticed that the night nurse had returned to take one last series of vitals before handing Felicity off to the day shift. Oliver stood outside and patiently waited.

"Mayor Queen sure is handsome, Miss Smoak," Oliver heard the nurse say. "Those pictures in the paper of him don't do him justice." Oliver smirked to himself, said nothing and stood patiently outside the room. He was curious as to what Felicity would say in response. He didn't have to wait very long.

"Mayor Queen is a kind, thoughtful and dedicated public servant," Felicity replied, 'who also happens to look really great in a tux."

The nurse laughed in appreciation and Oliver took that as his cue to knock on the door.

"Come in," replied Felicity. She smiled at Oliver as he walked toward her with the fresh cup of coffee.

The nurse saw Oliver walk in, turned and gave a sly nod of her head in acknowledgement to Felicity and quietly left the room.

Oliver sat down next to her on the bed, handed her the cup of coffee and said, "So you think I look great in a tux?"

Felicity blushed. It's the truth, Smoak. Don't deny it. She took a small sip of the hot liquid and replied, "As a matter of fact, yes."

Oliver's grin lit up her room. Calm down, Queen. Don't make her skittish. "Well, I’m sorry that the tux is a little rumpled this morning, but you'll get another opportunity to see me in one on Thursday. We have to attend the Star City Relief Fund Auxiliary Event."

Felicity's eyes grew wide. Oh, crap! Is he going to ask me to attend the event with him? 

Oliver saw the look on Felicity's face and his grin fell. Way to go, Oliver, he thought. Now she's thinking I'm rushing things with her. "The entire City Council and every current Director of a Department at City Hall will be there too. Mavis has already made arrangements for me to travel there with her from the office so that she and I can go over my speech one more time and handle the media." Oliver took a breath and noticed that Felicity seemed to have regained her composure. He continued, "I'm not sure if you are free that night, but it would be nice if you could attend too."

Felicity placed her coffee on the table next to her and sat a little taller in her hospital bed. Of course I have no plans that night Oliver, she thought to herself. All my nights I've calendared to spend with you doing Arrow stuff. Besides, it sounds like Mavis has her claws in you right now..."Um, sure. I mean if you're not planning on wearing your other suit that night, then I should be able to attend." Good job, Smoak. Keep it friendly. "I could probably even rustle up a date...if I needed to." Oh frack, Smoak! Why did you have to bring up the "D" word? She added, "Maybe give Curtis a call and see if Paul will let me borrow him for the evening?"

Oliver frowned, then smiled at Felicity. "Yeah, I think Curtis would have a great time. Plus, it would give you two an opportunity to catch up on all things Palmer Tech." Oliver watched as Felicity smiled at him. He knew that she truly adored Curtis. The two of them were alike in so many ways.

A sudden knock made them turn their heads in the direction of the doorway. "So how is my lovely patient feeling this morning?" asked Carter as he strode into the room, grabbed Felicity's chart, and reviewed it while walking toward her.

Before Felicity could respond, Oliver said, "She's doing much better now, Carter."

Felicity frowned at Oliver. I can speak for myself Oliver, she thought. She turned back to Carter and said, "I am feeling much better, Dr. Bowen."

"Carter, remember, Felicity?" Carter reminded her and smiled. "In the restaurant, you agreed to call me Carter."

Oliver gripped the side bar of Felicity's hospital bed and squeezed it tight. Leave her alone Bowen, Oliver thought. 

Felicity sensed the change in Oliver and was not pleased. She looked at Carter and saw the glint in his eye. He's using me to push Oliver's buttons, she thought. "Are you here to authorize my release from the hospital, Carter?" she asked.

Carter smiled at her and replied, "I need to check your lungs first." Carter reached for his stethoscope and had her breath in and out. 

Oliver's cold, steel blue eyes watched Carter's every move. Why do I let him get to me, he wondered. 

Felicity sat there between the two men obviously having some sort of mental tug of war between the two of them with her as the flag on the rope, smack dab in the middle. "Well, Carter," she asked, "am I cleared to leave the hospital now?"

Carter smiled at Felicity and said, "Everything checks out and your vital signs have been stable all through the night. I've asked the nurses to provide you another Epi-pen for your use and I highly recommend you have a follow-up appointment with your regular physician. The nurse should be back in a few minutes with all the discharge paperwork you will need to sign and then you are free to go." Carter wrapped his stethoscope around his neck and added, "I'd be delighted to escort you home, Felicity. I feel awful that our date ended so abruptly."

Oliver stood up from his chair and replied, "Thanks for the offer, Bowen, but I'll take Felicity home." Oliver and Carter both looked at each other with so much enmity. It was like a showdown at High Noon.

Felicity looked at both Oliver and Carter with disdain. "You know what fellows, I think I'll just take a cab home from the hospital."

Oliver and Carter both looked down at where Felicity lay. Great job Queen, he thought. You're making a decision for her without talking to her about it first. "I apologize Felicity. I should not have made an assumption that you would need me to take you home."

Carter smiled as if he had won a prize. "Well, then, that settles it. I'll be back in about 20 minutes to take you home, Felicity."

"Thank you, but no thank you, Carter. I need to stop by the grocery store before heading home and it's on Oliver's way anyway," she replied. "Thank you for all that you did for me in the restaurant..."

He didn't do squat Felicity, Oliver thought. I was the one who gave you your Epi-pen.

"And for everything here at the hospital," Felicity said. "I'm looking forward to hearing back from your FEMA contacts regarding our Federal Disaster Aid money. Perhaps, we can talk again on Monday?"

Carter, unhappy about not being the one to take Felicity home, smiled at her suggesting that they would talk on Monday. "That sounds like a plan, Felicity. I'll see you on Monday."

"Thank you, Carter," Felicity replied. Although a phone call would do, she thought.

Carter looked at Oliver, nodded his head in acknowledgment, said, "Queen," then turned around and headed out of Felicity's room. 

Before Felicity could talk to Oliver about what had just happened, the day shift nurse came in with the new Epi-pen and hospital discharge papers for Felicity to sign. Once that was done, the nurse left. Felicity looked at Oliver and said, "Thank you for apologizing, Oliver."

Oliver nodded his head and replied, "I'm so sorry, Felicity."

Felicity reached for his hand and said, "I know Carter was pushing your buttons earlier. Please don't let him get to you." You have nothing to worry about with him, she thought.

Oliver nodded his head at her and said, "I'll just step outside while you get dressed."

Felicity smiled at him and patted his hand. 

Oliver stood up, grabbed the tuxedo jacket and untied bowtie hanging loosely on the chair he slept in, exited her room and closed the door. You got a lucky break there Queen, he thought. 

Felicity quickly got dressed and opened the door to her room. She saw Oliver standing there holding onto the handles of a wheelchair while talking to the nursing team. 

Oliver turned to look at Felicity and smiled. “Felicity, these kind ladies here who have taken such great care of you have informed me that hospital rules dictate that you are supposed to ride in one of these, “ he patted the top of the wheelchair, “to exit the building.”

Felicity frowned. She really didn’t want to ride in a wheelchair to leave the hospital.

Oliver continued dramatically, “But I have successfully convinced these lovely ladies that because of the superior care you have received from them, you are quite capable of walking out of here on your own two feet.”

Felicity smiled, “Why thank you ladies for agreeing with this kind gentleman.”

“You mean hot gentleman…” one of the nurses said quietly followed by a bevy of giggles. 

Felicity saw Oliver blush. You have no one fooled Oliver Queen, Felicity thought. You love this. She continued smiling and said, “I’m ready to go home now, Oliver.”

Just as they were about to leave the nurses station, security came running over to them. They let them know that a crowd of reporters and news crews were camped out in front of the hospital waiting for them. They suggested that they take the service elevator and depart the hospital via the loading dock. 

Oliver asked security to walk Felicity down to the loading dock while he quickly ran, got his car and drove around to the back area to meet them. Who the heck tipped them off that Felicity was being discharged, he wondered. He exited through the main entrance and let the reporters know that Miss Smoak was recovering well. He thanked them for their concern and then he darted over to his vehicle. Once inside, he quickly departed the hospital and re-entered by the emergency room entrance then wound his way back to the loading dock. He quickly parked and exited the vehicle. Felicity must have seen him drive up as she and the security officer were making their way down the loading dock ramp towards him. Oliver thanked the quick thinking guard and then helped Felicity into the car.

Once securely in the car, Felicity turned to Oliver and said, “Thank you, Oliver, for everything.”

Oliver started the vehicle and exited the parking lot. He kept his eyes on the road and replied, “You never have to thank me, Felicity.”

‘Felicity looked out the passenger side window as they drove through downtown toward the corner market by the loft. “I do Oliver. I have to thank you for staying calm when my allergy kicked in at the restaurant. You were the one who found my Epi-Pen and injected it into me.”

Early morning in downtown Star City meant plenty of parking around the little market. Oliver pulled into a spot right by its entrance, turned off the ignition, looked at Felicity and said, “I could see something was wrong. I remembered where you kept it and I gave you your medication.” Oliver looked away for a moment and then looked back at her. “I’m just sorry I wasn’t able to go with you to the hospital right away. Carter assured me that you were doing fine and Mavis insisted that I had to finish the meeting with the angel investors for The Glades rebuild. I sent JJ to the hospital to keep tabs on you for me, but it really should have been me there with you and not him.

Felicity reached out to hold Oliver’s hand. “Oliver, there was nothing you could have done that you hadn’t already done.”

“But, I should…” Oliver started to say.

Felicity shook her head no, moved her hand to cup his face and replied, “Were you able to secure the funding for The Glades?”

Oliver nodded his head yes in her hand.

“And I take it since you’re still in your tux that you also had to go to the gala last night to make your speech and raise more money for the current relief effort?”

Oliver nodded his head yes again in her hand. “I just…”

“No Oliver. No regrets. You are here now, helping me. We’re talking about what happened. Your reaction was completely within reason and Mavis was right to keep you on task with your responsibilities toward the City.” Felicity moved her hand away from him and unbuckled her seatbelt. “Let’s go get a few groceries, get me to the loft so I can rest and you can finally go home and change.”

Oliver looked at her, concern in his eyes, “Hey, before we go into the store, I want to run something by you.”

Felicity sat back in her seat, looked at him curiously and said, “Okay, what is it?”

“The bunker is still pretty much a mess, and although I really only need a cot to sleep in, I was thinking of using what remained from the sale of the house in Ivy Town toward purchasing my own place.”

Felicity was a little shocked, “I think…I think that is a great idea. Do you have some place already in mind?” I hope it’s close to me, she thought.

Oliver looked nervous. Holy crap, how do I tell her I’ve already put an offer in on the loft below hers? “Um, well…you see, that’s the thing. I ran into the owner of the loft’s building earlier in the week and she just happened to mention that the loft below ours, I mean yours was being foreclosed on and if I acted quickly, I could get a really great deal on it.”

Oh frack, she thought. I wanted him close, but I’m not sure about him being in the same building. The press is going to have a field day with this. We can handle it, thought, I know we can handle it. “Wow, that’s great news, Oliver. Did you go ahead and make an offer?” Please say you did, please say you did, she thought. You can’t live in that bunker for the rest of your life. I won’t let you.

She’s smiling, this is good, right, he wondered. “Yeah, I submitted a great bid and I’ll find out this week if mine was selected.” Oliver paused for a moment to breathe. She looks happy. This is going to be okay. She’s okay with this. “So, we’ll be neighbors.”

Felicity smiled and asked, “So I take it a crock pot would be a great house-warming gift for you?” We can make this work, she thought. 

Oliver chuckled. She’s okay with this, he thought. “As long as it’s green.”

They smiled at each other, exited the car and entered the little market. Felicity added a few things, microwavable things, to her cart. Meanwhile, Oliver headed to the fresh produce, meat and dairy section. He grabbed a few items and headed back to where she was in line to pay. She purchased her items and then Oliver bought his items. 

Oliver grabbed the bags and loaded them in his car while Felicity strapped herself in. Oliver pulled into the loft’s garage and parked his car in the designated parking space next to Felicity’s Mini-Cooper. He knew that his new parking space would be a few spaces away from where she parked. God, I hope I have the winning bid, he thought.

Felicity looked at Oliver as she exited the car. He pulled out all of the grocery bags and followed her toward the elevator. He escorted her up to her door and helped her put the groceries away in her kitchen. As Oliver was putting away all the fresh food in her refrigerator, Felicity asked, “I thought you were taking that back to the bunker?”

Oliver blushed and replied, “I thought, that maybe I’d come back over tonight before patrol and cook us dinner and stockpile you some meals to store in your freezer…if that’s okay with you?”

Felicity was nervous. Yes she wanted him there. She missed him. But with everything that happened, she was starting to feel pressured. I don’t want to hurt him, but I also need a little time to decompress too, she thought. “How about a compromise, Oliver?”

Oliver tilted his head at her, “A compromise?” he asked.

Felicity nodded her head, “Yes. How about you give me a day to just sit at home and relax and you get a day to sit at your home and relax. Then tomorrow, you come over to make an early dinner and then we get to our patrolling duties?”

A look of concern flashed across his face, then he frowned and said, “I was pushing too hard wasn’t I?” Darn it Queen, stop being such and eager beaver.

Felicity smiled at him and said, “Maybe, just a little. I just need some time to process everything that’s happened.” Then she looked at her computer screens that now dominated their once dining room table and said, “Plus, I’m going to have to find a new place for my babies if you are going to start making dinner again for me.” Plus I need some time to take a look at the email Curtis sent me so I can try and figure out exactly how those photos were taken of us, she thought.

Okay, she's giving ground and I have to give ground too. "I do need to pack a few things in case I do get the winning bid on the loft down below." He watched as Felicity nodded her head in agreement with him. Okay, leave her alone today, come over tomorrow.   
It's a start, Queen. Don't screw this up. "What time should I plan on stopping by?"

Felicity replied, "How about 6 p.m.? We can eat dinner and then head out to the bunker."

Oliver nodded his head in agreement. "I think that sounds like a plan." He placed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "I'll go ahead and leave now." Oliver walked toward the door and Felicity followed him. He turned around to face her and she bumped into him. He reached out to steady her and felt another surge of electricity flow through them.

Felicity stepped back nervously, smiled and said, "Static shock gets us every time."

Oliver let his arms fall back to his sides, reached for the handle to open the door and said, "I'll see you tomorrow at 6 p.m., Felicity." He stepped out of the loft and closed the door behind him.

Felicity stood there, reached for the door to lock it and said quietly to herself, "I look forward to it."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver cooks dinner for Felicity. Felicity tries to investigate the stalking photographer. Felicity gets a lesson in City Hall politics from a reliable source. Stuff happens too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Nine

After Oliver left, Felicity took a moment to take a quick shower, dress in her favorite comfy clothes, toast a bagel, grab a bottle of water and sit down at her computer to take a look at the information Curtis had emailed her the day before. She reviewed the data he sent her and also corroborated the footage he sent her after she too hacked her way into the surveillance systems of the surrounding buildings. The photographer wasn't sloppy. They had made sure that they were just out of viewing of the security cameras view. Felicity sat back perplexed. The photographer had to have known she would be there at that exact time. Were they monitoring me at City Hall, she wondered. How could that even be possible? Oh, frack! Did they know that I worked with the Green Arrow?   
Felicity pulled back up the feeds to the security cameras, but this time she widened the field of her investigation. She started monitoring the camera feeds from the surrounding buildings within a five block radius of City Hall. That photographer had to have parked their vehicle close by in order to get that shot and get away so quickly. She meticulously searched through the feeds of each camera. If it wasn't because her stomach started growling at her and the need to go to the bathroom came upon her all at once, she would have never move from her spot. After satisfying both urges, she sat back down and continued her monitoring of the cameras to no avail. How does someone with a professional camera just disappear and I not be able to find them on any of the footage leading to and from the vicinity of City Hall or the loft? Felicity pulled up the blue prints of the buildings surrounding the loft. She pulled up the photo in question that had started this whole mess. She calculated that from the angle of the photograph, the photographer had to have been standing on the second level of the building across the street from hers. Perfect, up and out of the view of all the security cameras, she thought. Were they simply a lucky paparazzi and just happen to be at the right place at the right time? "You know you don't believe that, Felicity," she said out loud to herself. Great, now I'm talking to myself, she thought. She pulled up tenant records for the apartments across the street from her. I'll work on cross-referencing both the owners and renters to see if any of them have a connection to me or Oliver, but this is going to take some time. Felicity worked on setting up the correct algorithm so it would do all the work for her. When she was finally done, she looked down at the clock on her monitor's screen. Holy crap! It's already 1 a.m.? No wonder my back is aching me she thought. Felicity let her babies do their thing. She knew that when she woke up the next morning, they may have an answer for her or at least another place to start on trying to figure out who the photographer was and why were they following her.

Exhausted from her research the previous day, Felicity actually slept in on Sunday morning and it felt wonderful. She woke up at 10 a.m. and stretched, arching her back and feeling the little crack her spine made as she stretched. It felt lovely. She got up and got ready for the day. Oliver would be coming over at 6 p.m. tonight to cook dinner and go out on patrol. She hoped that her babies had completed their task for her so she could go over the data before he showed up that evening. She headed downstairs to see if there were any results awaiting her. To her dismay, the search was taking longer than she expected. Several properties were held in a variety of blind trusts that were taking longer to find out exactly who owned some of the apartments. The only thing complete was the list of people who were renting there. Felicity pulled up the list and started scrolling through the list of names, but nothing popped out at her. Ugh! Please do not be a dead end she thought.  
She used the time waiting for more results to take a look at some of the additional information Curtis had sent her about Palmer Technology. She may not technically work there, but the shares Ray left her still meant that she had a seat on the Board of Directors if she wanted to press the issue. She hadn't really thought about it since becoming Deputy Mayor of Star City as her day job and helping Oliver as Overwatch as her night job. It simply didn't leave any time for her to put any effort into Palmer Technology. She hoped that Ray wouldn't be too disappointed in her. Heck, he abandoned his company to take off with that time traveler to be a hero. I'm just doing my part to be a hero too, in the here and now, she reminded herself. Fortunately, Palmer Tech stock had finally started to recover since Ray's departure and the release of the new battery she and Curtis developed. She knew that the Board was really interested in recreating the bio-stimulator currently residing in the base of her spine that allowed her to walk again. She was interested in recreating it as well, just not for the profit as the Board had wanted. The bio-stimulator is an amazing device that she thought should be given to those who needed it. Not to only those who could afford it. The Board had been after Curtis to replicate the device, but for some reason, each additional prototype he built failed. She missed her daily interactions with Curtis. Oh my goodness, I've got to text Curtis about Thursday night, she remembered.

Felicity: Hi Curtis! Will Paul let me borrow you to attend a thingy I have to go to on Thursday night for work? If it helps, Oliver will be wearing a tux... :-)

Curtis: Is this a day job thingy or a night job thingy and did you say tux?

Felicity laughed. She knew Curtis admired Oliver and she also knew how much Curtis was in love with his husband, Paul. She couldn't deny that Oliver was an attractive man that made both women and men turn their heads his way.

Felicity: Day job thingy. I'll be the one in the full-length gown and you can be in a suit if you’re more comfortable instead of a tux. FYI - Corsage not necessary.

Curtis: Tux is cool. No suspenders, though. They pinch my shoulders. Are you at least going to take me to dinner first?

Felicity: I'll pick up Big Belly Burger and you can meet me at the loft. The event is a few blocks away. Okay to walk?

Curtis: Gee, Smoak. You sure do know how to woo your date. What time do I need to be there and make mine a Belly Buster with cheese, no mayo. Walking is cool after eating that burger. :-)

Felicity: Cool! 6:30 p.m. See you then!

Curtis: Cool! Did you get my email?

Felicity: Yes. Still running a search on data. Thank you for all your help! See you Thursday.

Curtis: OK :-)

Felicity sat back in her chair. Oliver would be here in a few hours. She had hoped that her babies would be done by now so that she could start moving them back into the room she had originally converted into an office before the accident, but they were still plugging away at the data. She used the time to get some laundry done and eat a light snack before Oliver got there.

Oliver arrived at the loft's building at 5:30 p.m. He had already circled the building five times in his car. Why am I so nervous, he thought, I'm just going up there to cook us dinner, like I've done many times before and then we're heading over to the bunker to do our regular nighttime patrol. Nothing special or out of the ordinary here, Queen. Just a guy and a girl, eating and working together. You’re deluding yourself, buddy, he thought. This is Felicity we're talking about here. The only woman you want to spend the rest of your life with...the only woman you love...the only woman you have been with in almost three years. He parked his vehicle and sat there. I wonder if she needs anything from the store? He sent her a quick text.

Oliver: Hey Felicity, I'm getting ready to head over. Do you need anything from the store?

Felicity: Nope.

Crap! She doesn't need anything. Now what am I going to do. His phone chimed at him. Another text came in from her.

Felicity: Have you left yet?

Oliver: Almost. What do you need?

Felicity: I'm all out of mint chip ice cream. Any chance you could pick up a pint or quart or gallon, if you want some too? :-)

Oliver smiled. This is what he missed. Their playful banter, which as he continued that thought, remembered usually ended up in a pile of nakedness, sweat and tangled sheets surrounding them. Calm down, dude. Get a grip. Crap, not that kind of grip. Go get   
the ice cream and keep the door open to the ice cream freezer for as long as need to cool off. 

Oliver: Okay, heading to the store now. I'll park in the loft's garage and see you soon.

Felicity: Thanks! :-)

Oliver realized that the corner market was already closed. He turned the car on and headed over to the supermarket 5 miles away. By the time he was done with the quick errand, he parked the car in the garage and headed up to the loft. He knocked on the door at precisely 6 p.m.

Felicity opened the door. "Perfect timing!" She stepped back and let Oliver into the loft.

Oliver held up the bag and smiled at her, "Ice Cream per your request."

Felicity smiled at him as he walked over to the kitchen and put in the freezer the four pints of ice cream he had purchased.

He noticed that her monitors were still on the dining room table. "Did you need help moving the monitors and computer equipment back into your office?" he asked.

Felicity replied, "Um, no. I just got a little busy working on some research that I didn't have a chance to clear the table. You're okay with eating up here on the countertop, right?"

Honey I'd eat off of your backside if you’d let me, he thought. "Um-huh," he replied as he pursed his lips and nodded his head yes.

"Great! I wasn't sure what you had planned to make tonight, but I'm sure it will be delicious." Felicity continued, "I was just hoping to get a bit more work done while you were in the kitchen, if that's okay with you?"

Oliver nodded his head in agreement. The computers are on the dining room table and I'm merely 15 feet away from you. I'd call this a win-win situation for me, "Sure, I'm okay with that. Are you okay with chicken and vegetable stir-fry?" he asked.

"That sounds great." Felicity turned away from him and focused back on her computers. See, Felicity, this is going great. Oliver is in the kitchen cooking. You are here in front of your monitors, working. Just like old times...except not like old times, she thought.   
Felicity sighed and slouched in her chair.

"Everything okay over there?" Oliver asked with concern. Do I dare ask what she's working on right now, he thought. Nope, just go grab the rice cooker from where you know it is and keep get the rice started.

Felicity sat back up, turned her head toward Oliver and said, "Yes, everything's okay. I just need to keep analyzing this data here." She pointed back at her screens then looked away from him. He's probably wondering what I'm working on here. "Hey Oliver?"

"Yeah?" Oliver replied as he turned the rice cooker on and then started to prep the vegetables for the stir fry.

"Curtis sent over some data for me to review regarding how the photographer managed to capture that photo of me looking at the Green Arrow." Felicity stood up from her chair and walked over to the counter next to where he was prepping their meal. "I've got a list of names of the tenants and also the owners of the apartments across the street. From the blueprints, I can see that the photographer was standing in the second story stairwell and took the photos from there. That's why all you can see is my face and the back of your head looking down at me. I was hoping that maybe you could take a look at the list of names and let me know if any of them mean anything to you?"

Oliver stopped chopping the vegetables and said, "Sure thing, Felicity, after dinner." He nodded his head at her and then continued with making their meal. Good idea, stretch the time out that you need to be in her presence. Make her wait until after you are done cooking and eating. He mentally patted himself on the back.

Felicity turned around, headed back to her computers and sat there reviewing the names again. Before she knew it, Oliver was letting her know that dinner was ready. She joined him at the counter as he placed a plate in front of her. It smelled so good. It reminded her of when he would cook dinner before in the loft for just the two of them and she frowned a little in sadness.

“Is something wrong?” Oliver asked.

Felicity looked up at him and smiled, “Oh, um…no. It looks great and it smells great. I was just thinking about…about the person who is following me around taking my picture.”

Oliver looked at her, concern written all over his face, “Have there been more pictures taken of you?”

Felicity shook her head no, “I don’t think so. Of course, I haven’t bothered to read the paper from yesterday or today, let alone turn the news on to keep me company. I’ve been busy going through security camera footage.” Besides, she thought, wouldn’t JJ have already texted, called or shown up on my door-step if something had happened? 

Oliver set her plate filled with the delicious smelling meal in front of her.

Felicity tasted what he had made. “Oh my gosh, Oliver. This is fabulous!”

Oliver smiled, thoroughly enjoying her praise. “I’m glad you like it.”

Felicity took another bite and savored the flavors that tantalized her taste buds. It reminded her of one of the dinners they had during their travels. She looked at him, her eyes wide open. “Is that…”

Oliver smiled back at her, “Yes, it’s cardamom.” He added softly, “I remembered how much you enjoyed the flavor.”

A flood of memories came back to her. Walks on the beach, lazy days of sleeping in only to be woken up so that they could enjoy each other and take pleasure in being together, away from all the troubles and tribulations of Star City. She placed her fork down and stepped away from the counter. Oh my god, this is going to be harder than I thought. She looked up at Oliver and could tell he was hurt, which was the absolute last thing she wanted to do to him. She walked back over to him, but maintained a few feet of distance between them. “The food is wonderful, Oliver.” She wrapped her arms around herself and continued, “I just wasn’t expecting to be flooded with a bunch of memories simply because you made me dinner.”

Oliver stood up from his seat and replied, “I’m not going to apologize for cooking you dinner or for causing you to remember something we shared…together…last summer. That was one of the happiest times of my entire life and I for one, will not forget it.” Even if you want to, he thought to himself.

Felicity looked at him. How do I respond to that statement, she thought. Just be honest with him. “I don’t want to forget either, Oliver,” she replied softly.

He took a step towards her and she retreated a few steps back from him. He stopped to see what she would do next.

“The thing is…“ she started, “the thing is that when we were away together, it was like our own private bubble. But that bubble we lived in burst after we came back to Star City.”

Oliver moved to take a step toward her.

She held up her hand, shook her head no and added, “But coming back was a decision that we made to together. We choose to come back to help our friends defeat Damien Darhk.” She motioned with her hand, pointing at the two of them and said, “When we work together, Oliver…you and I…WE work together. It’s one of the reasons why I agreed to work with you at City Hall. I know that we can both rebuild this City, together. That’s what I want us to focus on first. Let’s work together on rebuilding this city and then we can focus on rebuilding us.”

She just told me she wants to rebuild us. She wants us back together. Oliver took a deep breath in, then exhaled slowly. He looked her straight in the eyes and replied, “We will rebuild this city together, Felicity. But, I want you to know one thing. I am and will always be yours. There is nothing that has to be rebuilt for me were you are concerned. I am ready for us to be together in all things and when you can tell me the same thing, you let me know.” Oliver stepped back toward his chair, sat down and continued to eat dinner.

Felicity stood there stunned, mouth gaping open. He didn’t storm out. He didn’t beg her to give him another chance. He just let her know his position and she can decide what she wants to do next. Who is this man, she wondered. She walked back over to the counter and sat down to finish eating her meal in silence. 

When he had finished eating, Oliver stood up and placed his dish in the sink, then started to clean up the kitchen. 

Felicity’s eyes followed his every move. She placed her fork down on her plate.

Oliver looked at her and asked, “Are you done with that?”

She nodded her head and replied. “Remember, the rule is that you cook and I clean.”

Oliver smiled at her and replied, “Oh, I hadn’t forgotten. I just thought since you were still enjoying your meal, I’d give you a helping hand with the clean-up. We’ve still got a patrol to complete tonight and we’re going to need to get going soon.” Good job, Queen. Keep it light, focus on the next task at hand.

Felicity smiled back at him. He’s being very helpful tonight. “Thank you. I’m just finished and I’ll go ahead and start loading the dishwasher, if you would go ahead and take the trash out for me?”

Oliver nodded his head, grabbed the garbage bag out of the trash container and headed out to the garbage shoot. When he returned, Felicity was finishing up loading the dishwasher and started it.

She turned to face him and said, “Okay, we’re done here. Thank you for cooking such a great meal tonight.”

Oliver smiled at her, nodded his head and said simply, “You’re welcome.”

There was a very pregnant pause as they just looked at each other. 

“Oh!” Felicity remembered, “I need you to take a look at this list of names of tenants and owners from the building across the street.”

Oliver walked over to where her computers were. She got up and he sat down to scroll through the names on the list. He recognized a few last names of people that he had either gone to school with or had attended a Queen Christmas Party, but nothing appeared out of the ordinary. “Sorry, Felicity. Other than a few former classmates from high school or people who knew my parents, I don’t see anything out of the ordinary.”

Felicity sighed. Another dead end she thought. “Okay, then…we should probably head on out to the bunker for patrol.”

The two of them headed down to the garage, got into his car and went to the bunker. Patrol that night was fairly routine. Nothing out of the ordinary. Oliver came back in at 1 a.m., cleaned up, changed and drove Felicity back to her loft. He parked the car in front of her building, stepped out and opened the door for her. He offered her his hand to help her out of the low-sitting Porsche and Felicity took it. 

She looked up at him and smiled as she stood up next to the car. “Thank you, Oliver.”

He smiled back at her, still holding her hand and said, “Same time tomorrow?”

Felicity smiled back at him, nodded her head affirmatively and said, “Yes. 6 p.m. should be fine. If something changes I’ll let you know at the office.”

Oliver squeezed her hand in acknowledgment, ran around to the driver side and got back into his car.

Felicity waved at him as she walked toward her building and watched him drive off. She smiled at the doorman sitting behind the reception desk as he buzzed her into the building. She thanked him and rode the elevator up to the loft. She and Oliver both want the same thing. I just need to learn to trust him again, she thought. He’s ready for us to be together again. I’m the hold-up. I’m the cog in the wheel that’s still stuck on what happened in the past. She got back into the loft, got ready for bed and fell asleep, dreaming about tropical breezes and warm arms wrapped around her.

Oliver drove himself back to the bunker with a smile on his face. He felt like the night had gone well. He told Felicity exactly how he felt and where he stood with regard to their relationship, but he didn’t push her. He firmly left the ball in her court. It’s up to her now, he thought, and now, she knows it. Oliver headed down to the bunker, got ready for bed and slept soundly, knowing that tomorrow would be the third day on their journey back to each other.

The next morning, Felicity was up bright and early. She had started her fresh pot of coffee, got ready and was just getting ready to turn on her TV when there was a sudden knock on the door. She walked over, opened it up and found JJ standing there, clutching the newspaper and his phone, looking frantic.

“I take it you haven’t seen the news yet this morning?” he asked carefully.

Felicity shook her head no and replied, “I was just getting ready to turn it on when you knocked on my door. Why?”

JJ held up the newspaper for Felicity to see the front page. There in all of her glory was Felicity in several different shots. The photo from last week of her smiling at the Green Arrow, next to a photo of her smiling while Carter is wrapping his arms around her and escorting her into Russo’s on Friday, then another one of her and Oliver holding hands outside of her building from last night. All three photos beneath a headline that proclaimed “Fickle Felicity: Choose a man!”

“How the hell did they get that last shot published so quickly?!” Felicity yelled at the newspaper.

JJ scooted away from her. He had never heard Felicity’s loud voice before and he knew he didn’t want to hear it again. “I don’t know Miss Smoak.” JJ shrugged his shoulders, smiled a silly grin and asked, “That photo with the Mayor was from last night?”

Felicity glared at JJ. “Yes, Oliver gave me a ride home last night and was helping me out of the car.” Her cell phone started ringing. She looked down at it on her counter. Felicity looked up at JJ in fear. It was her mother. 

“Um, Miss Smoak,” JJ said, “Are you going to answer that?”

Felicity shook her head no. “Nuh-uh,” she replied. She did not want to talk to her mother.

The phone stopped ringing and Felicity breathed a sigh of relief. Then it started ringing again. She looked back down. It was Donna Smoak again. Oh frack, Felicity, just bite the bullet and answer the phone, she thought. She said, “Hi Mom…”

All JJ could hear was a very high-pitched squeal and saw Felicity squint her eyes, sit down, rock back and forth and rub her forehead. JJ moved over to her television and turned it on to see what the news was now saying.

“Uh-huh…yeah…you saw that did you…no…no Mom…Oliver and I are not back together. I mean yes, we are working together, but we are not together-together.” 

JJ saw her pause. She was listening to whatever her mother had to say. Then she started talking again.

“Mom…Mom, please, Dr. Bowen was just helping me into the restaurant, nothing else…yes, Mom, he’s a real doctor…no Mom, we are not playing doctor”

JJ’s cheeks turned red. Felicity looked up at him and mouthed the words, “Sorry” to him. He smiled uncomfortably, nodded his head in acceptance and turned back toward the television screen. The two anchors were talking about all the male attention Felicity was getting from some very eligible bachelors in Star City.

“The Green Arrow was just helping me after I had gotten mugged, Mom. No, Mom, I am not dating him…no, Mom, I’m not dating anyone...” Felicity’s phone chimed that there was another call coming in. She looked at her phone. It was Oliver. Great! He had to have seen the news this morning. “Mom, I’ve gotta go…yes, Mom, I would tell you if there was anything to tell you, but there’s not anything to tell you so I’m not going to say a thing…I know Mom, I know Mom. Yeah, give Quentin a hug for me. Okay Mom, I have to go. I’ll call you later.” Felicity clicked over to answer Oliver’s call. “Hello, Oliver.”

“I’m on my way over to get you,” he replied.

She looked at JJ and mouthed, “Oliver’s on his way over.”

JJ shook his head no and whispered, “There are four news crews and a dozen photographers outside your building right now waiting for you.”

Felicity turned back to the phone and replied to Oliver, “I think I’m going to have to work from home today.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes, Felicity. Meet me in the garage. I’ll drive you into the office today, just like last time,” he told her.

She knew it was easier just to agree with him and he was right. She really needed to be in the office today to follow up on the disaster aid money they were going to request from the federal government. “Okay, Oliver. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Felicity looked at JJ. “JJ, please head on over to the office. Oliver is coming by to pick me up and we will meet you there.”

JJ nodded his head and was about to turn off the TV when Carter Bowen appeared on screen. 

Felicity said, “Turn it up, please.”

JJ did as asked.

“Deputy Mayor Smoak and I are very good friends. The picture published shows, just that. Two people enjoying each other’s company.”

“Turn it off, JJ,” Felicity groaned. Carter you are a weasel. Now the press is going to have a field day with that quote.

JJ turned the TV off, “Is there anything you need me to do Miss Smoak.”

“Not unless you have a secret time machine,” she joked with him. 

JJ smiled, “Sorry, fresh out of time machines. I’ll see you at the office,” and with that JJ left.

Felicity took a moment to breathe in and out. She grabbed her purse, phone, tablet and headed downstairs to the garage level. Oliver was waiting for her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Felicity shook her head no and said, “I’m so sorry about all of this Oliver.”

“Hey, none of this is your fault,” he replied. “We’ll figure this all out, together,” and he smiled at her and gently squeezed her hand. "I've had to deal with the paparazzi for years, Felicity. I'm just sorry that by appointing you Deputy Mayor, they've set their sights on you now."

"Not everything is your fault, Oliver," she reminded him and smiled. "At least two of those pictures were taken from across the way of this building and by the looks of the angle, from the exact same vantage point." She sighed and said, "We need to figure out a way to get into that building and check out their internal security camera system."

"I take it that it's not accessible via the internet?" he asked. Felicity rolled her eyes at him and he laughed. "I know, I know, if it's on the internet, you can find it, Felicity," he replied with a twinkle in his eye. They both got into the car and strapped on their seat belts. Oliver added, "I'll have Mavis issue a statement that we continue to support each other's efforts to rebuild Star City and that we will continue to request privacy regarding our personal lives outside of City Hall."

Felicity asked, "Are you sure you can trust her, Oliver?"

Oliver turned his head to give her a questioning look. "Mavis has been one of my most loyal employees since I was sworn into office two weeks ago. She's never given me any reason to doubt her, Felicity." He looked at her and could see concern on her face. "Do you know or suspect something about her?"

Felicity shook her head no and replied, "No, not really...It's just that she's...she's...so smart and...tall." You meant to say 'beautiful' didn't you, Smoak, she thought.

"Tall? Huh?" replied Oliver giving Felicity a side-eyed look. "I happen to only like one short, bottle-blond woman with glasses."

Felicity gasped at him and could tell he was teasing her so she replied, "You said you'd keep that a secret since I keep yours."

Oliver chuckled, "And so I shall. But I want to make sure that you understand that Mavis Temple is a valued employee and nothing more. You, Felicity Smoak are my always, forever more." He squeezed her hand and started the car toward City Hall.

Once there, they headed up to the lobby to catch the elevator up to their offices. Carter Bowen was in the foyer of City Hall speaking to a bevy of reporters when he saw them waiting by the elevators. He walked over to join them and the reporters and photographers followed him.

“Felicity, I’m so happy to see you,” Carter smiled at her and walked over to her side. 

Oliver, standing on the other side of her said simply, “Carter.”

Felicity looked up and as she was looking at Oliver, a flash went off in her face. Oh great, she thought! The new headline will be about the tug-of-war for Felicity Smoak.

City Hall security finally came over and scooted the press away from them so they could all travel up to the office together.

Felicity turned to Carter and said, “Carter, I wasn’t expecting you to stop by the office today. I thought you were just going to call and let me know how it went with your contacts at FEMA?”

Carter smiled down at her and replied, “Why Felicity, I thought we agreed in the hospital that I would see you first thing this morning so that we could finish strategizing about the disaster relief needed for Star City?” Carter looked up at Oliver and grinned.

Felicity saw the look in Oliver’s eyes. She knew he was imagining putting an arrow straight through Carter Bowen. She said, “Oliver, did you get the Disaster Declaration request sent to the Governor’s office yet?" When he didn't reply, she whacked him in the arm and said, "Oliver?”

Oliver still staring daggers at Carter, nodded his head yes and said succinctly, “I did.” Carter you weasel. You’re doing everything you can to worm your way into her life, aren’t you, he thought.

Felicity replied, “Good, now we just have to wait for the Governor’s Office to issue the disaster declaration and then we can start working on the federal funding, right Carter?”

Carter smiled down at her and said, “You are absolutely, correct, Felicity.”

The elevator doors opened on their floor. Oliver stepped out, turned to look at Carter and said, “I’m sorry Bowen, but Felicity and I have a very important staff meeting. Once we’ve heard back from the Governor’s Office, we will let you know.”

Carter smiled at Oliver and said, “No need. The Governor’s Chief of Staff was my college roommate at Princeton. He said he’d shoot me a text as soon as it was signed.” He turned to look at Felicity and said, “I’m off to a meeting anyway with Council Member Briggs. If I hear anything, I’ll be sure to let you know, Felicity.” Carter bowed slightly in Felicity’s direction and walked toward the Council Member’s office down the hall.

Oliver stormed off into his office, shutting the door behind him.

Well, Felicity thought, at least he didn’t slam his door.

Mrs. Sanchez gave Felicity an understanding smile and followed her into her office. “Deputy Mayor Smoak, can I speak to you in private for a moment?" She asked.

Felicity replied, "Of course, please come in and take a seat." Felicity pointed to the small couch in her office.

Mrs. Sanchez closed the door to Felicity's office, sat down and Felicity joined her on the small couch, facing each other. Mrs. Sanchez said, "I wanted to let you know that the press and politics make strange bedfellows." The older woman sighed and continued, "What’s worse is that you are unfortunately being placed smack dab in the center of the storm. I saw those pictures of you and honestly, anyone who knows you can tell how innocent they are.” She shook her head and continued, “Right now, you are the unknown. All anyone here really knows about you is that you are the girl who broke the Mayor’s heart.”

Felicity thought to herself, what about my heart?

Mrs. Sanchez continued, “You are the girl that inherited Palmer Tech from your boyfriend. You are the girl that rose from being an I.T. Specialist to being the City’s Deputy Mayor in almost 5 years." Mrs. Sanchez reached for Felicity's hand and said, "People, powerful people don’t like that, Miss Smoak. You have to pay your dues in City Hall, in politics, unless you were born into this way of life and you didn’t do that. It doesn’t matter that you graduated from M.I.T. with a Masters at 19. All that matters to the Elites is that you are not one of them. Mayor Queen gets a pass because he was born Star City royalty. For years his antics have been fodder for the gossip magazines and the people have loved him for it. But lately, all they have seen is him trying to make Star City a better place for everyone to live. When he dropped out of the Mayor’s race unexpectedly, almost half of the population of Star City still voted for him because he is Star City. Granted, we may have forgotten about him when he went missing and was presumed dead, but when he came back, he wanted to make this City great again. He built a night club in of all places, The Glades. That club provided jobs in an area that sorely needed it. Now, you can still see that same determination in his eyes. He’s working to rebuild this City just as hard as he’s working to rebuild himself…to make himself a better man…a man that deserves a beautiful and intelligent woman like you.”

Felicity burst into tears. 

Mrs. Sanchez reached over to Felicity and gave her a big motherly hug. “There, there Mija, I did not tell you this to make you cry. I see the way the Mayor looks at you when you aren’t looking.” Mrs. Sanchez continued to pat Felicity’s back and said, “And I see the way you look at him too. You both are still in love with each other, right?”

Felicity nodded her head yes and sniffled, “We actually got a chance to really talk this weekend, Mrs. Sanchez. We agreed that we both want to work on rebuilding this City first and then we will work on rebuilding us. He loves me and I love him, but…” Felicity sniffled again and said, “There’s a lot of things that happened between us earlier this year that we know we need to work on and we are going to work on them, together.” 

Mrs. Sanchez smiled at her and gave her one final squeeze, “Well it sounds like to me that you two are back on the right path, now. I just want to make sure that you understand how difficult it can be once you've entered politics. People think it's all parties, kissing babies and voting. But it's not. It's treacherous, back-stabbing and filled with people who will only speak to you so long as you're useful to them. When the Mayor mentioned how much he trusted you and wanted to find a way to bring you on board, I suggested he appoint you Deputy Mayor. He needs you here, Miss Smoak. He needs your goodness, your willingness to argue with him and to not always let him get his way. He definitely has his allies on the City Council, but he also has his enemies."

Felicity wiped her eyes, nodded her head at Mrs. Sanchez and said, "Do you mean Council Member Briggs?"

Mrs. Sanchez smiled at her, nodded her head yes and said, "That man has been a thorn in every Mayor's side for the last 30 years. He's the epitome of why there should be term limits for City Council members."

Felicity chuckled and asked, "Why does he dislike Oliver so much?"

Mrs. Sanchez shook her head and said, "Briggs has been in the Bowen Family's back pocket since he first got elected to the City Council. He attended law school with Carter Bowen's father, Windsor. It was rumored that Briggs was the only reason why Windsor graduated at all and as a reward, Briggs was made the Executive Director of the Bowen Family Foundation & Trust. Briggs spent his first several years in Star City doling out funds to every charity in this town, ingratiating himself with every charities' Board of Directors, and gaining influence and connections. He leveraged those connections into a successful campaign for the City Council, representing the Downtown area of the City. The only time he's ever lost out on a vote or backroom deal, has been when a member of the Queen Family has been involved. Oliver's father successfully got appointed to the Civil Service Commission, even though Brigg's had promised a seat to one his cronies. Another time, Oliver's father via an investigation utilizing the Civil Service Commission, managed to get Brigg's nephew fired for gross negligence from his job at the Public Works Department, paving the way for young JJ's father to be appointed Chief Engineer over fifteen years ago. His most recent disappointment was when he got wind that you were going to be appointed Deputy Mayor." Mrs. Sanchez smiled and said, "Oh, I would have loved to have been a fly on that wall when he finally found out what Oliver was planning. He had been trying to meet with Oliver to convince him to appoint Carter Bowen, but I kept rescheduling that appointment. By the time he did find out what Oliver was planning, it was too late. Oliver had secured the necessary votes for your appointment and Briggs was stymied again. Briggs likely had promised the Bowen family that he would get Carter the appointment, but it backfired on him."

"So it's a simple matter of being petulant because he hasn't been able to get his way?" asked Felicity. "Why hasn't he run for Mayor?"

Mrs. Sanchez laughed, "I think it's because he enjoys lording over his district for the past 30 years. Why worry about having to get the entire City to elect you, when everyone who lives in your district continues to support you. Nope, Miss Smoak, Briggs likes being a big fish in a small pond."

Mrs. Sanchez patted Felicity's arm and said, "I think I've told you enough about Council Member Briggs for today so that you will know what to look out for. Why don’t you take a moment before we head over to the Mayor’s office to go over his schedule for the day?” Mrs. Sanchez stood up from the couch and stepped back out into the reception area, closing the door behind her.

Felicity stood there, grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes again. She was used to being underestimated by people before. It’s one of the reasons why when someone was kind to her, they were rewarded with her undying loyalty. Mrs. Sanchez went out of her way to give her some really great advice. She didn’t understand the politics of City Hall like Mrs. Sanchez did. Felicity knew that what Mrs. Sanchez told her was not as a warning, but instead a way for her to learn more about the place she was now working. Felicity didn’t mind being the underdog in any situation. That was something she could work with. It was something that she knew she could use to her advantage. She would use it to both her and Oliver’s advantage as they worked to rebuild Star City.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Felicity finally makes a decision after prodding from an unexpected person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Ten

Felicity walked over to Oliver’s office with JJ following just behind her. Oliver was seated in the chair in front of his desk, Mavis Temple on his right and Mrs. Sanchez on his left. Felicity sat in the chair directly opposite him and JJ sat on her right. “Good morning, everyone,” she said a little too brightly. 

Oliver nodded his head, Mrs. Sanchez grinned and Mavis smiled slightly at her. “Deputy Mayor Smoak,” said Mavis, “The Mayor and I were just discussing the possibility of increasing security for tomorrow’s City Council meeting.”

Felicity looked at Oliver and asked, “Is that really necessary?”

Oliver replied, “Tomorrow is your first official meeting with the City Council, Felicity. I have a feeling that your status update on the effort to rebuild Star City will draw more than a few spectators.” Like whomever your stalker might be, for one, thought Oliver.

Felicity sighed and slumped back into her chair. He’s worried about me and this whole stalking photographer fiasco, she thought. “I think if we increase security, the press is going to have field day with that and find some way to twist it into something more than it really is.”

Mavis smiled at Felicity and said, “Exactly the point I raised earlier with the Mayor, Miss Smoak!” Mavis turned toward Oliver and said, “The press are going to say it’s an overreaction made by an overprotective jilted lover trying to woo back his wandering-eyed former fiancée.”

Oliver started to shake his head no and Felicity thought to herself, ouch, that woman doesn’t mince her words, but she does raise an excellent point. Felicity added, “She’s not wrong Oliv…I mean Mr. Mayor.”

Mavis turned back toward Felicity and said, “It’s bad enough we have Fickle Felicity.”

Felicity winced at the use of the tabloid nickname given to her.

Mavis looked at Oliver and continued, “After tomorrow, the press will either brand you Overprotective Ollie or worse, the Mooning Mayor.”

Wow! Way to hold back on the straight talk, Ms. Temple, thought Felicity.

“I can’t do nothing, Mavis.” Oliver replied angrily. He looked at Felicity who slightly shook her head no at him. Oliver pursed his lips, stood up and walked over to look out the window behind his desk. “I’m used to being a tabloid staple. Heck, all my crazy escapades before…” Oliver paused for a moment as he shrugged off the memory of the Gambit, his father’s death and everything that happened on and off the island during those five long years he was away. He continued, “Before what happened to me. All of that can be found on the internet. Besides, I’ve got a pretty thick skin. I can handle it.”

Mavis stood up and replied, “It’s not your skin I’m worried about, Mr. Mayor. It’s your political future, or need I remind you that your appointment expires in a little more than two months with the election?”

Oliver turned around where he stood and stared at Mavis.

She continued, “Right now, you have no one challenging you in the Mayoral race, but I’m sure there are plenty of potential candidates out there who would be willing to throw their hat into the ring should there be an inkling that you could be defeated.”

Felicity sat tall in her chair and asked Mavis, “You think that my working here makes Oliver appear weak?”

Oliver shook his head no.

Mavis looked at Felicity and simply replied, “Yes.”

Oliver strode back over to where the group was sitting, looked at Mavis and asked, “Why, because I once was engaged to her?”

“No,” replied Mavis calmly, “Because you were unable to seal the deal, Mr. Mayor.”

Felicity felt like she had been slapped with what Mavis had told Oliver. She was the one who had broken up with Oliver. Granted, she had every right to, but she was the one who walked away from him. Her, a simple I.T. girl/Executive Assistant with no pedigree or connections, well legitimate connections. I mean, come on, Felicity, your father is pretty much a known fugitive, computer bad-ass in the black market. Oh my god, I babble in my own head, she thought. If Oliver were to face a challenger in the upcoming election, they would use her dumping him as a reason of why Star City shouldn’t elect him Mayor!

Oliver said, “I haven’t seen anyone stand-up and make an announcement that they want the job, Mavis. What makes you think someone will?”

Mrs. Sanchez coughed. All eyes turned toward the older woman. She said, “Because the sharks smell blood and they’re circling their prey.”

Felicity’s eyes grew large.

Oliver sat back down in the chair next to Mrs. Sanchez and asked, “What have you heard?”

Mrs. Sanchez replied, “I was waiting to tell you later, but since Ms. Temple has brought the subject up…” Mrs. Sanchez shook her head, took a deep breath and replied, “Dr. Carter Bowen has pulled papers from the Election’s office.”

Oliver sat back in his chair, a dark look came over his face.

I know that ‘Brooding Oliver’ look, Felicity thought. She asked, “What does that mean, Mrs. Sanchez?”

Mavis replied, “It means that Dr. Carter Bowen is going to run for Mayor.”

JJ replied, “Oh frack!” 

Everyone turned to him in shock. 

JJ blushed, sunk down in his chair and said quietly, “Sorry.”

“No, JJ, it’s okay,” replied Felicity. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

Oliver sat up in his chair and Mavis sat back down. He looked at Felicity and she looked directly back at him. The last time he decided to run for Mayor he had the support of his entire team with him: Felicity, Thea, John, Lyla, and Laurel. Thea was the one who ran the campaign initially before she had found Alex to come on board and run the campaign so they could focus on Team Arrow activities. Now, they were all gone. He raised both hands to rub his face and then move to the back and rub his neck. They aren’t all gone, he thought. He looked at Felicity. She sat there smiling at him that same encouraging smile he always knew he could count on to lift him up and feel better. He nodded his head at Felicity and said, “We will find a way.”

Felicity smiled back at him. She knew he was ready to gear up for this fight. A fight that required not a bow and quiver full of arrows, but instead an honest commitment between him and the citizens of Star City to make it a better place. Felicity replied, “I believe in you.”

The determined look on Oliver’s face gave confidence to everyone in the room. “Well then, let’s get started. Mrs. Sanchez, I’m going to need a Campaign Manager for this effort. Who do you recommend?”

Mrs. Sanchez smiled at him and replied, “Mark Francis.”

Oliver nodded his head, “Call him and set up an appointment,” he replied. 

Mrs. Sanchez stood up, ready to walk out of the room, when Mavis said, “Just a minute. She can’t call him from her phone. City employees are prohibited from working on political campaign activities during their work hours.”

Mrs. Sanchez frowned at her and said, “I’m taking a cigarette break.” She walked out, noisily grabbed her cell phone from her desk and left the Mayor’s office area.

“I didn’t know she smoked?” replied JJ.

Oliver smiled and said, “She doesn’t.”

Felicity gave him a questioning look. “Who’s Mark Francis?”

“He’s the man who ran my Mother’s campaign for Mayor,” Oliver responded. 

Mavis continued, “Mark is amazing.” She looked at Oliver and said, “He’s strategic, knows all the players and cut-throat.” She then looked at Felicity and added, “Just what we need to combat Dr. Carter Bowen.”

Felicity inquired, “What can I do?”

Oliver was about to say something, when Mavis interrupted and replied, “Nothing.”

Felicity scowled. I can’t believe she just said that to me!

Oliver turned and gave Mavis a curious look, “Mavis, I’m sure you didn’t mean that.”

“I did,” Mavis said and she looked at both of them. “Felicity is now a City employee. She and I are both City employees. We…” Mavis motioned with her hands to include JJ on this topic, “are all City employees. We have to be very careful not to even give the appearance that we are working on your election campaign while on City-time. So, it looks like my vacation is starting right about, now.” Mavis looked down at her watch, then at JJ and said, “JJ, can you give us the room, please?”

JJ looked at Felicity, who nodded her head at him, then he said, “Okay,” got up, and walked out of the office, closing the door behind him.

Mavis said, “I’m sorry Miss Smoak, if I’m being a bit blunt, but you may need to distance yourself from the Mayor as much as possible.”

Felicity gave Oliver a stricken look. I can’t do that. I won’t do that, she thought. She looked down at her hands folded in her lap and said, “It’s because he and I are no longer the Prince Charming and Cinderella of Star City?”

Oliver pursed his lips and said, “Absolutely not going to happen, Mavis.”

Mavis replied, “Look, Miss Smoak has already been linked with two other men besides yourself Mr. Mayor. It’s making you look like you can’t keep the foxes out of the hen house.”

Felicity shrank back into her seat. I can’t give him up. I won’t give him up. I love him.

Mavis continued, “I’m not telling you anything that Mark wouldn’t be telling you either. You two need to either start dating again or start dating other people. I can spin whatever you decide with the press to your advantage, Mr. Mayor, but you two need to figure it out.” Mavis stood up and headed towards the door. Before opening it, she turned back around, looked at the two of them and said, “When you’ve figured it out, please let me know. I’ll be back at my desk setting up my ‘Out of Office’ notifications on my email and voicemail.” Mavis opened the door and shut it closed behind her.

Oliver looked at Felicity. She looked scared, sitting there, lost in thought. I don’t want to interrupt her, but I need to reassure her that I’m okay with whatever her decision is. Oliver stood up, walked back to the window behind his desk and looked out over the plaza below. Stop kidding yourself, Queen, because you know you’re not. You want her to run into your arms and tell you she’s never going to walk away from you ever again, that she will never leave you. 

Felicity looked up and watched Oliver move to the window. Why hasn’t he said anything to me? Because he’s waiting for you to make a decision, Smoak, she answered herself. He told you last night that the ball was in your court. He let you know how he feels, what he wants. You want those same things too. Why are you denying yourself your happiness and his own? Felicity stood up and said, “Oliver…”

A knock on Oliver’s door stopped her. Oliver and Felicity both turned to face the door. Mrs. Sanchez peeked her head in and said, “I’m so sorry to interrupt, Mr. Mayor. The Governor is on the phone and would like to speak with you.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Sanchez, please transfer her call to me,” Oliver sat down at his desk and Felicity moved closer to him. His phone rang and Oliver picked up, “Hello, Governor Liu.” Oliver paused and listened while she spoke. He replied, “Why thank you, Governor Liu. The people of Star City appreciate your swift action in helping to get our City declared a designated state disaster area. We would definitely appreciate any assistance you could also provide getting our area designated a National disaster area as well…no, I understand…well, yes, we appreciate you did that too…um…uh-huh…no, I see, yes, well, thank you anyway for all you’ve done. I’ll have my Deputy Mayor contact your Chief of Staff…oh, yes, I see. Yes, well Dr. Bowen certainly has been kind enough to assist us with that…um-huh…okay, I will let Deputy Mayor Smoak know. Yes, thank you.” Oliver hung up the phone.

“Why do I get the feeling that you have good news and bad news?” Felicity asked.

Oliver leaned back in his chair and said, “Which one do you want first?”

“Let’s start with the good,” Felicity replied.

“The good news is,“ Oliver said, “the Governor has signed the necessary documents to declare Star City a disaster area for the state. This allows the State Office of Emergency Services to come in and help the American Red Cross with the emergency shelters and establish some funds for any additional temporary housing we will need for those citizens displaced by the destruction of Darhk’s underground operation. It will also fast-track additional state resources to help pay for the infrastructure rebuild.” Oliver paused, took in a deep breath and then exhaled.

Felicity looked at him and asked, “What about the bad news?”

Oliver looked at her and said, “The bad news is that the federal funding from FEMA is not a sure-thing.”

Felicity gasped, “What do you mean it’s not a sure thing? Carter said that we should have no issues with that happening?”

“Well, maybe he’s saving that funding for a campaign promise he hopes to fulfill once he’s elected Mayor,” he quipped with a smile. Then he got serious and said, “Governor Liu let me know that her Chief of Staff had already submitted the necessary paperwork to the FEMA and the Office of the President to await his decision. So now, it’s just a matter of it being a waiting game to find out if any more disaster-relief funding is going to be headed our way.”

Felicity stood up and walked over to where Oliver was seated. She placed her hand on his shoulder and said, “We’re going to get through all of this like we always do, Oliver.”

Oliver looked up at her, doubt starting to radiate from his eyes.

She smiled at him and whispered, “Together.”

Oliver pushed his chair back and stood up. His eyes now wide with hope. “Are you saying…” he started.

“I’m saying,” Felicity replied, “That I’m tired of us being apart. I love you and I want to be with you.”

Oliver grinned widely and wrapped his arms around her.

Felicity hugged him back and then she looked up at him and added, “But I want to take things slowly.”

Oliver looked down at her and said, “Whatever you want, Baby.” God, I’ve missed calling her that, he thought to himself.

Oh how I’ve missed him calling me that, she thought. Felicity looked at him and continued, “I just need some more time for us to really get to know each other. I mean…” she laughed and gave a little snort, “we already know-know each other…it’s just that, well…” Felicity paused.

Oliver looked at her and smiled. He asked, “Felicity Smoak, do you want me to court you?”

Felicity blushed and answered, “I’ve never had that before…well, I guess Ray did try, I mean he got me that gown, borrowed that necklace for me to wear and then he bought out that restaurant in Central City…”

Oliver quieted her by pulling her against him and kissing her like he had been wanting to do for months. 

Felicity eagerly kissed him back. God, how I have missed this, she thought.

Oliver broke the kiss, smiled down at her and asked, "So I take it that kissing you is back on the table?"

Felicity nodded her head and said, "Absolutely."

Oliver pulled her into his embrace and they stood there by the window of his office enjoying the feel of being in each others arms again. "I guess I better tell Mavis that you and I are dating again."

Felicity smiled and teased, "I think you should tell her that you're courting me. I think that will play well with the Baby-boomer voters."

Oliver gave her a questioning look. "This isn't some sort of political stunt is it?" His doubts were starting to resurface regarding them.

Felicity wrapped her arms around him and said, "Absolutely not. I'm just thinking of a piece of advice our dear friend, Council Member Briggs said to me on my first day on the job. He specifically mentioned that the Baby-boomer Generation were the only reliable voters in Star City. Let's make sure that they agree with me that you are the best candidate for Mayor this City has seen in several generations!"

Oliver hugged her back. We're going to do this, he thought. I'm going to do this. I'm going to woo this woman so much, she's going to be the one to propose marriage to me! Oliver smiled to himself contentedly. Now, if only I could get the winning bid on that condo below the loft, we'll be set, he thought.

There was a knock on the door and Oliver said, "Come in!"

Felicity tried to move out of Oliver's embrace, but he wouldn't let her go.

The door opened and in walked Mrs. Sanchez again. When she saw Oliver holding Felicity in his arms, she grinned, clapped her hands together, then composed herself and said, "I wanted to let you know that I've arranged a lunch appointment with Mark Francis for today at 11:30 a.m. at Table Salt. He said that he would be bringing along a family friend of yours, Mr. Walter Steele, with him."

Felicity smiled and said, "Oh I haven't seen Walter in ages."

Mrs. Sanchez replied, "Well Mr. Francis asked that the Deputy Mayor accompany you to the lunch meeting, so I cleared her calendar with JJ and you two are all set."

Oliver smiled at Mrs. Sanchez and said, "Thank you, for all that you've done for me and for us, Mrs. Sanchez."

Mrs. Sanchez blushed and said, "De nada. You two just make sure that you aren't late for this meeting. I should also let you know that Mr. Francis invited Ms. Temple along too."

Oliver nodded his head and said, "Great. Please let Mavis know that Felicity and I will meet her there at the restaurant."

Mrs. Sanchez smiled, nodded her head and closed the door.

Oliver looked at Felicity and said, "We've done this before, Baby. We just won't have the rest of the team with us this time."

Felicity smiled at him and said, "I miss them too, Oliver, but I know that with Walter and the rest of our new allies, we'll be ready for this fight."

Felicity and Oliver departed City Hall with a few flashes going off as they made their way out the doors and to the waiting cab to take them to the restaurant. Oliver made sure he was holding her hand as they walked down to the taxi and then he held the door open for her to get in the car. Reporters were asking questions about the status of their relationship, which they both pointedly ignored. Once they arrived at Table Salt, there were a few paparazzi standing outside. They started flashing their cameras at Oliver when he got out after paying the driver, and then again as he helped Felicity out of the car and into the restaurant. The dining room host showed them to their table where Mark, Walter and Mavis were already seated. 

Walter stood up as they approached, hugged Felicity, kissed her cheek and said, "Delighted to see you, my dear."

Felicity smiled back at him and said in her best British accent, "you too, Walter."

Walter introduced Felicity to Mark and everyone sat down at the table.

Mark thanked Oliver for calling him to run the his mayoral campaign. They discussed setting up a couple of fundraisers and campaign activities for Oliver to do to firmly establish him as the best candidate for Mayor. 

Oliver let them know that he and Felicity were a couple once again. 

Walter smiled at that and said, "Well done, young man. I'm very proud of you. You've got yourself quite a catch, Oliver."

Felicity blushed at Walter's praise.

Oliver replied, "I'm the luckiest man in the world, Walter." He smiled at Felicity and kissed her cheek.

Mavis reminded the group that Felicity, as a city employee, would be limited to only after normal business hour activities. She would work on setting up some campaign activities for her to attend as well as a surrogate for Oliver when he was unable to attend.   
Mavis wanted to make sure that Felicity attended the upcoming Star City Women's Club Fashion Luncheon, the upcoming Public Library book sale and the dedication of the new community garden in The Glades. 

Felicity could think a few things she'd rather do than attend a fashion show, but she knew that if it would help Oliver get elected Mayor, then she would do it. 

Mavis asked Felicity to share her calendar with her so that she would coordinate it with the rest of Mark's campaign staff.

Walter let them know that he would host the first fundraiser for Oliver's mayoral campaign at his home in Star City Hills next weekend. He would work on helping to raise the money needed to mount a successful campaign.

Felicity no longer had access to as much capital as she did when she was CEO of Palmer Tech, so there was no way she could fund the campaign like she had before. She did commit to calling those Palmer Tech Board members who she knew had been her biggest supporters to try and get them to contribute to Oliver's campaign too. "It looks like I'll be attending the upcoming Palmer Tech Board meeting next week, now," she said a bit nervously.

Oliver leaned over, kissed her forehead and whispered, "You'll be great, babe."

Felicity smiled back at him. She really wasn't looking forward to it, but she would do it for Oliver. 

Mark wrapped up the meeting by letting them know that Mavis would be the point person on the campaign for him. She would get the campaign office opened and staffed. They would then plan on having a weekly lunch meeting every Friday to discuss the campaign's progress and any strategy that needed to be implemented once they determined that Dr. Carter Bowen really was going to be entering the race for Mayor. 

Oliver thanked everyone at the table for helping him on his effort to remain Star City's Mayor. He and Felicity left the restaurant and headed back to City Hall. They needed to finish getting ready for the City Council meeting the next day.

Once they were back in the office, Oliver followed Felicity into her office and shut the door. "Honey, we're not going to be able to patrol tonight. I need to finish going over my notes for the City Council meeting tomorrow."

Felicity smiled at him and said, "I totally agree. I have to finish up my report for the Council and need to include the information on the State Disaster Declaration." Felicity paused for a moment and said, "You know, Carter never texted me all day regarding the Governor signing the disaster declaration."

Oliver shook his head and said, "I'm sure he knows that we're aware that the Governor signed it, Felicity. Besides, he's probably off, licking his wounds because you are now off the market."

Felicity laughed, wrapped her arms around him and said, "You're right, Mr. Mayor. I'm completely off the market."

Oliver smiled down at her and said, "Oh no, Miss Smoak. I've got work to do and so do you. I'll buzz you in a few hours and we can go grab dinner or have something delivered if we're not finished here tonight."

Felicity smiled at him and said, "You're absolutely, right, Oliver. We have work to do."

He leaned down, kissed her nose and said, "Get to work, Deputy Mayor Smoak." Oliver stepped away from her, opened the door to her office walked over to his. He could see Mrs. Sanchez and JJ both grinning at each other from ear to ear.

Felicity left her door open, turned toward her desk and sat down. Everything finally felt so right, she thought. Oliver and I are going to work everything out. I want to work everything out with him. I want this. I want him and I want us, she thought. Felicity placed her ear buds in her ears and started to stream her favorite play list while she worked on finishing up her reports for the City Council. After a while, she looked up at her clock and realized that it was already almost 5 p.m. She removed the ear buds from her ears and saw JJ start to walk into her office. 

"Miss Smoak, I wanted to let you know that I'll be clocking out for the night, unless you need something else," JJ said.

Felicity smiled at him, shook her head no and said, "No thanks, JJ. Have a good night."

He smiled at her and left the office to head home.

Felicity stood up and stretched. She was actually done with her reports finally and was hoping she could run them by Oliver before actually presenting them tomorrow. She grabbed the reports and walked over to Oliver's office. Mrs. Sanchez was already gone for the day. She knocked on his doorframe and said, "Hey, Oliver, can I run my reports by you before I head home for the night?"

Oliver looked up at her, tilted his head and said, "Sure thing. I'm done here with my notes for the meeting's agenda tomorrow."

Felicity handed him the reports and Oliver started to read them.

He smiled and said, "These look great, Felicity. You're going to knock their socks off with your detail and conciseness."

Felicity smiled and said, "Phew, that's a relief. I was afraid I was getting too wordy."

Oliver set the reports down and said, "I think we should grab some dinner and then I'll drop you off at the loft. I'd like to try and get a workout in this evening and to bed early."

Felicity smiled at him and said, "That sounds like a wonderful plan. Let's go."

They left the office together to go grab dinner. No matter what restaurant they drove by in Downtown Star City, they all seemed to have paparazzi ever present. Finally, Oliver opted to drive them back to their old stomping grounds and go to the Big Belly Burger restaurant in The Glades and best of all, no paparazzi were present. When they were done with dinner, Oliver dropped Felicity off in the basement garage by the elevator to the loft by 8 p.m. and wished her a loving good night by kissing her softly and sweetly on the lips before she stepped out of his car.

Felicity sighed and squeezed Oliver's hand. "Thank you Oliver, for a lovely dinner. I'll see you at the office tomorrow morning."

Oliver smiled back at her and said, "I'm looking forward to it." He paused for a moment and then said, "I love you, Felicity Smoak."

Felicity smiled at him and replied, "I love you too, Oliver Queen."

Felicity hopped out of the car and over to the elevator. The doors opened as soon as she pushed the button and she stepped inside, waving to Oliver as the doors closed.

Oliver waved back at her, content to know that by day four of their journey back to each other, they were a couple again.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> This chapter has an announcement, a city council meeting and some news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Eleven

The next morning, after finishing getting ready for work, Felicity took a moment to sit at her kitchen counter and savor the taste of her freshly brewed coffee. She grabbed the remote and turned the TV on to see what headlines were capturing the attention of Star City residents today. The anchors after talking about the weather and traffic reports, led with a press release that had been issued by the Bowen Family. Carter Bowen was going to hold a press conference at 8:30 a.m. this morning on the steps of City Hall. The anchors were already speculating that the announcement might have something to do with a rumored mayoral candidacy. Felicity scoffed at the TV and rolled her eyes. Great, she thought, I'm going to have to walk right through that fiasco on my way to the office this morning. Felicity was about to turn the TV off again when she heard the other anchor quip about Oliver and Carter making the campaign not only about being elected Mayor, but also about becoming the next boyfriend of Felicity Smoak. Ugh, she thought, why all this attention on my love life? The news flashed a picture of Oliver and Felicity from yesterday, holding hands and getting into the cab. Then they showed a picture of her with Carter outside of Russo's from last week. Then the anchor made a comment that she would gladly trade places with Felicity, since billionaire bachelors seem to be her type. Then the news flashed a photo with Felicity in the middle and question marks floating over her head with pop-up bubble pictures of Oliver and Carter on either side of her, with the words "pick me" floating over each of them. Felicity groaned out loud. Really, she thought, they couldn't focus on maybe the Governor declaring Star City a disaster area or something else more newsworthy than her? She thought she was watching a real news station and not TMZ! Felicity turned the TV off and threw the remote down on the sofa. She was not looking forward to heading into the office today. Who knew what else was waiting for her when she got there?

Felicity grabbed her purse and tablet and headed down to the building's lobby. Once there, she noticed there were no news crews fortunately, but there were a few photographers hanging out on the sidewalk. Felicity took a deep breath in and stepped outside.   
The camera flashes started as soon as her feet hit the pavement. The photographers asked questions about Oliver and Carter. Felicity ignored their entreaties and continued walking toward City Hall. Once she arrived at the steps, she could see the staging being set-up for Carter's press announcement. There were balloons and bunting everywhere. This man spared no expense it seems, she thought. Felicity headed up the steps as quickly as possible. One of the TV news reporters sprinted after her, but she was quicker. She got into City Hall, where the security quickly escorted her to the elevators so she could get to her office. When she got to her area, she saw Mrs. Sanchez sitting there, scowling at her computer screen. 

Felicity asked, "Is everything okay, Mrs. Sanchez?"

Mrs. Sanchez looked up from her screen and replied, "I can't believe that he managed to get enough signatures necessary to file his candidacy paperwork so quickly!"

Felicity gave Mrs. Sanchez a confused look. "What are you talking about, Mrs. Sanchez?"

Mrs. Sanchez, sighed and said, "When you want to run for Mayor, you have two options when filing your paperwork. You either pay the $500 filing fee when submitting your paperwork, or you have to get 150 registered voters to sign a petition to support your candidacy for Mayor and the filing fee gets waived. To someone like Dr. Bowen, I know that the $500 filing fee is probably chump change, but for a potential Mayoral candidate to get that many signatures so quickly sends a really strong message to any potential challenger or incumbent that they are serious competition. I just received an email from a friend in the Elections Department letting me know that Dr. Bowen turned in his paperwork yesterday right before 5 p.m. with over 500 signatures. She's in the process of confirming that at least 150 of them are genuine registered voter signatures, but so far, she says that they all look good."

Felicity asked, "Does Mavis know about this yet?"

Mrs. Sanchez shook her head no and said, "I just found out right now and was going to tell the Mayor as soon as he arrived. I figured he would want to let Mr. Francis know and find out how we should respond." Then Mrs. Sanchez asked, "Has the Mayor filed his candidacy papers yet?"

Felicity shook her head no. "It sounds like maybe he should have done that last week, but we've been so busy with everything else." Felicity thought to herself, including Arrow stuff, trying to keep this city safe. "So, he’s not here yet?" Felicity asked nodding her head toward Oliver's closed office door.

Mrs. Sanchez smiled and said, "Actually, no. He hasn't come in yet." Then the older woman raised an eyebrow at Felicity, gave her a sly smile and added cheekily, "I assumed he might have had a late night and that you both might not have made it into the office until it was time for the City Council meeting to start at 9 a.m."

Felicity blushed and as she was about to respond, Oliver walked into the office reception area.

"Good morning, Ladies!" he said very brightly. Oliver took one look at Felicity and noticed the red flush to her face and Mrs. Sanchez chuckling slightly where she sat. Oliver walked over to Mrs. Sanchez desk and asked, "Are you two alright?"

Felicity replied, "Yes. Yes, I'm fine. Uh, Mrs. Sanchez was just letting me know that Carter has filed all of his necessary paperwork for his Mayoral candidacy and she wanted to make sure that you reminded Mark Francis that you had to fill out yours too."

Oliver frowned and asked, "What is all of that staging going up in front of City Hall for?"

Mrs. Sanchez replied, "Dr. Bowen is supposed to be conducting a press conference this morning at 8:30 a.m. I expect he wants to formally announce his candidacy right before the City Council meeting this morning, then attend the meeting afterwards. Which means the press will be all over the meeting, looking to get a reaction out of the both of you regarding his announcement.”

Oliver pursed his lips firmly. He looked down at his watch. The press conference should be starting shortly. “Thank you, Mrs. Sanchez. I’ll give Mark a call now.” Just then, Oliver’s cell phone started buzzing in his pocket. It was Mark Francis. Oliver walked into his office to take the call.

Felicity went into her office. She knew that if it was anything important, Oliver would let her know. Right now, she had a City Council briefing she needed to finish preparing. A little while later, a knock on her doorway grabbed her attention. 

Oliver was standing there with determined look on his face. She knew Carter's press conference was about to start.

Felicity asked, “Is everything okay?”

Oliver walked into her office and sat down on the couch in her office. He looked at Felicity and thought about everything that Mark had just told him. Mark was beginning to think of Felicity as a liability to the campaign. Oliver had told Mark under no uncertain terms was Felicity a liability. She was his heart and soul. Without her, there would be no mayoral campaign. Mark and Mavis needed to figure out a way to get past everything that Carter was going to throw their way and put a plan together to deal with Carter’s soon-to-be-announced Mayoral campaign. “We were all caught off guard by Carter calling this press conference so close to only my second City Council Meeting as Mayor and your first meeting as Deputy Mayor. Mark thinks he’s doing it to upstage us and to make sure he’s the headline for the evening news, instead of what we’ve enacted to start the process of rebuilding this city.” He paused for a moment and then said, "I thought maybe we could watch the press conference together in your office?"

Felicity smiled at him, grabbed her tablet, stepped around from her desk and moved over to the little couch in her office. She brought up one of the local news feeds on-line. They sat there and watched as the press conference started. 

There stood Council Member Briggs at the podium. He welcomed those in attendance and began speaking about knowing Carter Bowen his entire life. He spoke eloquently about Carter's boyhood accomplishments as an Eagle Scout and star athlete, which vaulted him to follow the family legacy of attending Princeton and eschewing the family tradition of law to instead focus on becoming a doctor, which upon attaining his medical degree allowed him to pursue his well-documented philanthropic efforts with Doctors without Borders. All of this, leading to his decision to return home to Star City, to help make it great again. Then Council Member Briggs introduced Carter to the podium.

Oliver groaned. This was exactly why he hated Carter Bowen. His entire life, both of his parents spoke so highly of Carter Bowen. He could hear his Mom and Dad saying, "We heard Carter won the spelling bee at school today...I hear Carter got a perfect score on his S.A.T....Did you hear, Carter was named Valedictorian?...Carter is following his family's footsteps and going to Princeton." They were always throwing Carter up in his face as an example of what they wanted him to be like. But Oliver, was different. He didn't want to do any of that. He wanted to discover his own way in the world. Then Malcolm Merlyn got in the way and set in motion a five year journey to Hell and back. Oliver closed his eyes and sighed. How would things have been different had he not endured all that he had experienced during those five years he was gone? He wrapped his arm a little tighter around Felicity. To have her in his arms right now, sitting on this couch, made it all worth it to him, he thought. He kissed the top of her head and she took it as her cue to snuggle closer to him. He looked down at her tablet and saw that Carter had gotten to the podium.

Once Carter was at the podium, he flashed his most charming smile at the crowd. Carter spoke about wanting to do the right thing for Star City. He spoke of the values he learned here as a boy. Values of respect, loyalty and hard-work. How no matter where his education or philanthropic work took him, he still remained that same young man from Star City. The young man who wanted to make the world a better place, for his family and his friends. How he realized that the time had come to make the world a better place for his entire community and what better place to start, than Star City. He wanted to make Star City the Jewel of the Pacific Northwest again. He wanted to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for the residents of Star City. He wanted to serve his fellow citizens of Star City as their next mayor and he hoped he could count on the crowd's support.

Felicity sat up in the couch and looked at Oliver. Oliver was still watching the tablet's screen showing Carter waving a the crowd that had gathered there for the press conference. 

Oliver looked at her and said, "That was a pretty good speech."

Felicity frowned. She could see the doubts starting to take hold in Oliver's head. "Oliver, you know how to give a good speech too, or do you not remember how you rallied the people to combat Damien Darhk a few weeks ago?" she asked.

"That's what Mrs. Sanchez told me last week," he replied.

"Well, she is right," Felicity responded. "You have done more for this city than anyone will ever know. But you didn't do any of it to receive a pat on the back or a thank you. You did it, because it was the right thing to do." Felicity squeezed his hand and added,   
"You are the Mayor of Star City. When the City Council didn't know what to do after everything that happened, they came to you, Council Member Briggs, included, and asked you to lead this City. It's your turn to shine in the light, Oliver. It's your turn to fight in the light. To fight for this City...to make it great again...and you are not alone. I'm here. Mrs. Sanchez is here. JJ is here. Walter is here. We're all here to support you. We believe in you and I love you." Felicity paused for a moment, then added, "Do you understand?"

Felicity continued to search Oliver's face, looking for some sign that he truly understood the love and confidence she had in him. This man has the weight of the entire city on his shoulders and now he has to worry about an election campaign, she thought.   
What can I do to ease his load, she wondered. She added, “Well, I also think that we need to listen to Mark. He is the strategist when it comes to anything campaign related. You need to consider what he tells you and then decide for yourself if he’s right or wrong about it. In this instance, I think he’s right. Carter knows today is the City Council meeting and that it will be my first time presenting an update on the disaster funding we’ve requested from the state and federal government. Since I haven’t heard from him at all, I’ve already placed a call into Lyla to see if she has any contacts with FEMA that we can use to monitor the disaster declaration status without waiting for Carter’s connections to act. I also placed a call to the head of the Palmer Tech Governmental Affairs Division. She owes me a favor for fixing a few things on her credit report. I figured the least she could do was help us out with some government regulators. Plus she gave me some great information and advice, too.”

Oliver smiled up at her and said, “Have I told you how remarkable you are lately?”

Felicity smiled and replied, “No, and thank you for remarking on it.”

Oliver looked down at his watch and noticed that the City Council meeting was due to start in fifteen minutes. “Felicity, the meeting starts in 15 minutes. Are you ready to head down there?”

“Yes, I am,” she answered. Felicity got up from the couch and walked back around her desk to grab her portfolio. She also made sure that her briefing was all queued up for her to read from on her tablet. She looked at Oliver and asked shyly, “Will you give me a kiss for luck?”

Oliver smiled, stood up and walked over to her. He placed his hands on her arms, and leaned in to gently give her a kiss on her lips. “You never have to ask me to kiss you, Felicity. I’m more than happy to do so. I just wasn’t sure how you felt about public displays of affection in the office.”

Felicity smiled at Oliver and replied, “I think that when we’re in our respective offices, alone, it’s okay. I think the minute we get outside our inner sanctum, we need to be careful. While we’re out in public on official business, you are the Mayor and I am the Deputy Mayor. I think if by setting up these boundaries, the press and the public will respect and understand that. Plus, it shows that we respect and understand the offices that we currently hold.”

Oliver nodded his head in agreement, leaned in and gave her one more kiss and then walked with her back out into the reception area. Mrs. Sanchez handed Oliver his binder with the City Council meeting script and JJ followed along behind the two of them as they made their way down to the Council Chambers. The press were all over the meeting room. As Felicity and Oliver made their way into the Council Chambers, Oliver nodded his head at her and she and JJ took a seat in the front row. Oliver headed up to the dais and took his seat. The rest of the City Council members soon joined him. 

There was a bit of commotion at the back of the room when City Council Member Briggs entered with Carter Bowen. The City Council Member joined the rest of his colleagues on the dais and Carter sat a few seats away from Felicity and JJ. Carter smiled at Felicity. Felicity pursed her lips and gave him a polite smile in return. Carter then nodded his head at Oliver. Oliver nodded his head in acknowledgment back at Carter. 

Once everyone one was seated, the City Clerk gave Oliver the signal to call the meeting to order and establish the quorum. The City Council got through all the different formalities, proclamations and consent agenda, Oliver called on Felicity to brief the City Council on the disaster relief effort.

Felicity rose from her chair and stepped up to the podium in front of the council. She let them know about the conversation with the Governor the day before. She spoke of coordinating the efforts with the State of Office of Emergency Services to begin work on repairing the damaged infrastructure and how the state had released additional funds for temporary housing for those displaced by the explosion. 

Council Member Briggs asked, "Deputy Mayor Smoak, would you care to enlighten us about any success you may have had with the Federal Emergency Management Agency?"

Felicity inwardly winced. She knew this question was coming. She just didn't think it would happen at the beginning of her report. She took in a deep breath and replied, "We have completed the necessary first step in getting the Governor to submit her Disaster Declaration paperwork to FEMA. We are now waiting to hear back from them regarding their decision."

"Waiting to hear back?" the Council Member retorted, "Miss Smoak, if we all merely stood back and waited to hear back from the Federal Government, I don't think anything would ever get accomplished. You need to constantly be in their face demanding results. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease."

Felicity knew her cheeks were burning red. She looked down at her tablet, then at Oliver. He gave her an encouraging nod of his head, but she could see in his eyes that he was ready to put a few arrows into Council Member Briggs. "Council Member Briggs, I assure you, I am not merely sitting back with my heels on the desk waiting for the phone to ring. I understand that the City has retained the services of Dunlap, Lopez and Sato Associates, a group of respected and effective Washington lobbyists. I have already forwarded to them all the information regarding our recent request with FEMA and they have assured me, Council Member Briggs, that Ms. Sato, the former member of Congress to represent our City, will be personally handling the lobbying effort for the disaster relief funding. I do believe she also served as the chairperson of the President's re-election campaign, correct?" Felicity paused a moment to take a look at each member of the City Council. She noticed that Oliver had a sly little grin on his face. Felicity continued, "I've been told that we should have the Presidential Disaster Declaration notice within a few days. I hope that next week when I give my report to the members of the Council, I will be able to tell you all that FEMA will be arriving to assist us with our recovery efforts." Felicity looked at the Council one more time and asked, "Are there any other questions?" No one said a word.

Oliver smiled at her and said, "Thank you Deputy Mayor Smoak for that report." Then he moved on with the next item on the agenda.

Felicity sat back down next JJ. He leaned over and whispered to her, "Good job."

Felicity smiled back at JJ. She knew she had done a great job and she was so thankful she had done so much research on what other cities had done when they had needed to declare a disaster and get help from the federal government. Plus the Palmer Tech government affairs director prompted her to take a look to see if the City had any D.C. lobbyists on retainer. When she found out that they did, Felicity thought to herself, that's one credit report fixing that proved to be highly valuable to her in the end. 

The City Council meeting ended a few hours later. Oliver, Felicity and JJ walked into the press briefing room. This would be the first press briefing he would be doing without Mavis at his side to help guide him. He had handled enough press events before, he felt confident he could handle this one. He heard the shouting, "Mr. Mayor! Mr. Mayor! Mr. Mayor!" Oliver looked down at the press where they sat in front of his podium and he replied, "Madison, what question do you have for me?"

Felicity looked over and saw the same anchor who had quipped earlier this morning that she wouldn't mind trading places with Felicity, stand up and ask, "Mr. Mayor, are you concerned that the actions in the personal life of your Deputy Mayor might impact her ability to focus on her responsibilities toward Star City?"

Felicity was seething. Oliver turned to look at Felicity, gave her a slight smile, turned back around and faced the reporter. He replied, "Why no, Madison. I'm not concerned because I happen to know that Ms. Smoak is a professional, dedicated to the rebuilding of Star City. What I am concerned about, is how belittling the media has been toward Ms. Smoak. If she were a man, the press would be in awe of her ability to accomplish so much in such a short period of time. Similar to how much Council Member Briggs was lauding my soon to be opponent in the Mayoral Campaign, so should the press be lauding Ms. Smoak and all that she has been able to accomplish in even less time than most people accomplish in their entire lifetime. Next question."

Felicity couldn't help but smile at what Oliver had said. She saw the camera go off too late and just knew there was going to be some deplorable headline about her fawning over Oliver. Oh well, she thought, I do fawn over him.

Oliver continued to take questions and made sure the reporters stayed on topic of the importance of the federal disaster aid money and to thank the Governor for her swift action in getting the State of Emergency declared for Star City. Once Oliver had fielded a few more questions, he called an end to the press conference and he, Felicity and JJ went back to the office. Once there, Mrs. Sanchez had already taken it upon herself to order them sandwiches and salads from the local deli across the street. The little group ate the late lunch and then Oliver received another call, this time from Mavis. 

She let him know that she had opened up a new campaign office and already had it staffed. She had taken the opportunity to pull his mayoral candidacy papers out while the press was too busy with Carter's press conference to notice her. She had nearly everything completed and was having the team work on getting the necessary signatures to waive the filing fee. Oliver thanked Mavis for her work. 

Mavis said, "Mr. Mayor, don't forget that you have the Emergency Auxiliary Benefit in two days. I'm still planning on picking you up at City Hall to review your speech on the drive to the event. Please make sure you are ready at 6 p.m. when I arrive."

Oliver inwardly groaned. He had forgotten all about it once everything with Carter Bowen had come to a head. "That's right, Mavis. I'll meet you in the parking garage below City Hall at 6 p.m. See you then." Oliver hung up the phone and looked up. Felicity was giving him a strange look.

"You're still going to the event with Mavis on Thursday?" she asked. Felicity looked at Oliver, the hurt in her eyes showing.

Oliver replied, "I thought you and Curtis were still going to the event together, Felicity?" Oliver could kick himself right now.

Felicity stood up and replied, "You're right. I forgot that I had bribed Curtis with Big Belly Burger and the sight of you in a tux." Felicity smiled at him and said, "I've got a few more things to finish up at my desk right now. Thank you Mrs. Sanchez for ordering lunch for us. Please let me know what I owe you," then Felicity walked back to her office and shut the door.

Of course Oliver would still think he was going to attend the benefit with Mavis. She is the point person for his campaign and his Communications Director. They hadn't discussed changing there original plans for the benefit. She knew she shouldn't be jealous,   
but she was. She assumed that now that they were back together, they would be attending the benefit together as their first official public date. She knew better than to assume anything. This wasn't Oliver's fault. It was hers. She looked up when she heard a knock on her office door. "Come in," she replied.

The door opened and it was JJ. Felicity couldn't help but look disappointed. She had hoped that it would be Oliver so she could apologize for her reaction. Instead it was her trusty assistant.

JJ stepped into her office and said, "Um, Deputy Mayor Smoak, I've been meaning to ask you, but wasn't sure when the time would be right..."

Felicity, exasperated already with herself, really didn't want to listen to JJ hem and haw. "Just spit it out, JJ. What do you need?"

JJ looked at her nervously, "Well, you see, I sort of mentioned to my sister that you were going to get her a tour of Palmer Tech and she's been bugging me about it ever since. I was kind of hoping that I could check with you as to when would be a good time to take her for the tour you mentioned?"

Felicity smiled at JJ. She was looking forward to setting that up for his little sister. "Give me a minute, JJ." Felicity grabbed her phone and punched in a number. She held the phone up to her ear. "Hi Curtis, do you think you could give that little girl a tour of your lab tomorrow?" Felicity paused to listen to Curtis response. She gave JJ a thumbs up. She watched JJ grin and do a little happy dance in the doorway of her office. Felicity continued, "Okay, Curtis. Her brother is my assistant, JJ. He'll bring her by Palmer Tech tomorrow around 3 p.m., okay?" Felicity continued to nod her head, "Okay, thanks Curtis! See you on Thursday." Felicity hung up her phone and said to JJ, "Okay, Curtis Holt will meet you and your sister at the Security Station of the Palmer Tech building at 3 p.m. tomorrow. He'll take you up to his lab so your sister can see what he's working on and then depending on her level of interest, he might be willing to show her one of his new prototypes he's working on right now." Felicity saw how excited JJ was that she was making this happen for him. "I wish I could show her some of the stuff I had been working on there too, but Curtis will do a great job with her."

JJ smiled and said, "Thank you so very much, Miss Smoak! You have no idea how important this is to my little sister, Hannah."

Felicity smiled at him and remembered herself at that age, lamenting the fact that her mother wouldn't allow her to attend space camp. "Actually, JJ, I do have an inkling of how important this is to her. Why don't you take the rest of the day off, pick your sister up from school and tell her the good news?"

JJ smiled even wider and replied, "Really?!"

Felicity nodded her head yes and smiled at JJ, "Yes, really! Now go!"

"Thank you, Miss Smoak!" JJ replied and hurriedly grabbed his stuff, turned off his computer and headed off to share the good news with his sister.

Felicity sat back in her chair and smiled. She hoped she was able to give little Hannah a good dose of encouragement to continue to follow her dreams. She stood up and looked out the window of her office. She could see JJ rushing off down the street to catch the bus. She turned back around and saw Oliver now standing in her office doorway.

"I was getting ready to knock," he said.

"You don't have to knock, Mr. Mayor," Felicity replied, staying standing where she was behind her desk.

Oliver entered into her office and started to walk towards her slowly. "I wasn't sure if I would be welcomed or not," he replied softly.

Felicity tilted her head at him, then walked over to where he stood in front of her desk. She reached for his hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm sorry, Oliver. I overreacted earlier about Mavis."

Oliver looked down at where her hand held his and said, "You have nothing to apologize for Baby. I assumed that we were sticking to the original plan because you seemed really happy to get to spend some time with Curtis, plus I figured now with my   
campaign gearing up, I'm going to need to spend some more time with my campaign team as we prep for the election in August." He reached with his free hand to pull her towards him by her waist. He added, "Which means I'm going to rely on you more than ever to make sure that City Hall is running smoothly whenever I'm away taking care of campaign stuff."

Felicity sighed and leaned her forehead against his chest. "I'm such a jealous fool, Oliver."

Oliver reached down and lifted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "You are no fool, Felicity Smoak, and you have nothing to be jealous of either. I only have eyes for you and no one else." Oliver leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips.

Felicity wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss, when she started to feel his phone vibrating in his suit's breast pocket. She stepped back and Oliver reached in with one hand to pull his phone out to see who was calling him, while maintaining the other hand on Felicity's waist.

It was his real estate agent calling. Oliver hoped it was with news that he was the new owner of the loft below Felicity's place. Oliver answered the phone, "Hi Nick, do you have good news for me?...Oh, I see...no, that's okay...um-huh...yeah, I understand...okay, yeah, go ahead...let me know what happens with that place...okay, thanks. Talk to you when you hear something. Bye." Oliver tucked his phone back into his pocket. He looked down at Felicity and said, "I was out bid on the loft below yours."

Felicity frowned. She was hoping that they were going to be neighbors. Now, someone else was moving into their building. "What are you going to do now?" she asked.

"Nick mentioned that there's a place across the street from you that's coming back onto the market. He's pretty sure I can get a great deal on it so I told him to go ahead and make an offer on it." Oliver chuckled and added, "It's technically a few floors above where the loft is located, so I could always fire an arrow across the way and slide on over to visit you if I needed to."

Felicity laughed and said, "Well I guess that's one way to avoid media scrutiny if you're coming to visit me." Felicity wrapped her arms around him and asked, "Are you planning on patrolling tonight?"

Oliver shook his head no, "I've got to head down to the new campaign headquarters and meet with Mavis and Mark tonight to discuss our next moves. Would you like to come with me?"

Felicity smiled at him and shook her head no, "I think I'm going to call it an early night tonight and head home. I've got some work I can get done there tonight and I could really use an early night this week. If you want to talk later after your meeting, go ahead and call me or text me. I'll probably be up working on some coding issues Cisco sent me a while ago that he needed help with." Felicity stood on her tip toes and gave a quick little kiss.

Oliver grinned and said, "Okay, Babe. I'll call you when I'm done with my meeting to say goodnight if it's not too late, and by late I mean anything after 11 p.m. is late. okay?"

Felicity smiled back at him and said, "Sounds like a plan, Honey."

Oliver left her office and Felicity shut down her computer and headed home. The press were still outside City Hall looking to get a comment from her, but she merely smiled and kept walking home. Once there, she quickly heated up some of the leftovers she had from the dinner Oliver prepared the other night and enjoyed each and every bite of the delicious meal. She sat down at the dining room table where all of her babies still held court. She put the finishing touches on the program codes Cisco had asked her to help with and then she loaded them into the drop box she used for all work she did for Star Labs. Felicity looked at the clock and noticed that it was already midnight. She yawned, stretched and stood up. She wondered why Oliver hadn't called her yet, but figured he was just really busy discussing the campaign with Mavis and Mark. Felicity made her way upstairs and got ready for bed. It had been a long day and she was looking forward to catching up on her sleep. She hoped tomorrow would be a better day and soon she was fast asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Felicity is awoken very early in the morning. Something has happened to Oliver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Twelve

Felicity heard something buzzing. She groggily swatted her hand in the air by her ear, but the buzzing wouldn't stop. She sat up in bed and fumbled for her glasses. Once they were on, she realized that it was her phone. She looked down, saw Oliver's smiling face staring back at her. She noticed that it was 2 a.m., smiled and thought to herself, are you making a booty call, Mayor Queen? She answered the phone, "It’s a little late for tech support, Oliver."

"Miss Smoak?" replied a female voice she was unfamiliar with.

Felicity sat straight up in bed and demanded, "Who is this?"

The voice replied, "This is Mark Francis' assistant, Tonya Sun. Mr. Francis, Ms. Temple and Mayor Queen were in a car accident late this evening. I don't have a lot of information, but Mr. Francis asked that I call you and ask you to come to the hospital."

Felicity asked frantically, "How's Oliver...Mayor Queen I mean?"

Tonya replied, "I'm sorry, they won't tell me anything and Mr. Francis is with the doctor right now."

"I'm on my way," Felicity replied. She hopped out of bed and threw on the first t-shirt, sweats and tennis shoes she could find. She grabbed everything she needed and headed out the door to her car. She knew she had never driven as fast as she had, well maybe that time Oliver was bleeding in the back seat of her car she drove pretty fast, but certainly not as fast as she was right now. She arrived at the hospital and rushed into the emergency room. Mavis was sitting there, with an ice pack being applied to her right cheek bone, a few noticeable bruises on her arm and a small bandage over her left eye. Felicity went straight to Mavis and demanded, "Where's Oliver?"

Mavis replied, "He's back there with the doctor right now. They think he might have dislocated his shoulder and he banged his head pretty badly, but he's awake and he's talking." Mavis took a breath and added, "When the accident occurred, I fell on top of Oliver and he cushioned the impact of the crash for me. I owe that man my life."

Felicity looked at Mavis in horror. "I have to find Oliver, now." Felicity turned away from Mavis and went straight to the Nurses area. She asked to see Oliver. The nurse did not recognize who she was and replied, "Sorry, Honey, only immediate family are allowed in the exam area."

Mavis walked over and said with practiced authority, "Please escort Deputy Mayor Smoak to Mayor Queen's bedside."

The nurse looked at Felicity and replied, "I'm so sorry, Ma'am. I didn't recognize you in what you are wearing."

Felicity looked down and realized she was wearing Oliver's favorite Fall Out Boy Concert shirt from the last show he had seen before he went missing nine years ago. Felicity looked up, smiled at Mavis, who nodded her head in acknowledgment, then she followed the nurse to the exam area.

As they walked, the nurse let Felicity know that they were going to keep Oliver for a while to monitor him. They were concerned that since he was not conscious when they brought him in by ambulance and were following the recommended concussion protocol.   
When she arrived at his bedside, she found Oliver sitting up in the hospital bed with his left arm in a sling. Mark was sitting in the chair next to him, looking just as bruised as Mavis, but also sporting a split lip and a brace on his wrist. Felicity walked straight past Mark and wrapped her arms gently around Oliver. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and Mark quietly excused himself from Oliver's bedside.

Oliver reached for her with his free arm and said, "Hey, I'm okay."

Felicity sniffled and replied, "You're arm is in a sling and the nurse just told me that you have a concussion. You are not okay, Oliver."

Oliver chuckled slightly, grimaced in pain and said softly, "You and I both know you've seen me in worse shape, Baby."

That made Felicity smile. She playfully swatted at his right arm, to which he mouthed the word, 'Ow!' and she continued, "True, but I've never been woken up at 2 a.m. and had to come to the hospital to find you like this." Then she gently leaned in and gave him a kiss on the lips, mostly to soothe her fears and anxiety.

Oliver reached for her elbow and tugged her in close to his right side. He whispered in her ear, "The police were already here to question us about what happened."

Felicity asked softly, "What did happen?"

Oliver shook his head and replied, "I'm not really sure. We were sitting in the back of the limo after having eaten a very late dinner and headed back to the campaign office so I could pick up my car and go home, when the driver swerved the car unexpectedly and we went over the freeway on ramp embankment. Mavis ended up crashing against me and I remember hitting my head on the roof of the car, then I blacked out." 

Felicity gasped and snuggled closer to him on his right side. "What happened next?" she asked.

Oliver shook his head gently and said, "I don't know. I woke up here in the hospital."

Felicity replied, “I need to pull up any surveillance video I can find of the area where the accident occurred.” She leaned forward to reach for her bag containing her tablet.

Oliver moved to sit up more in the bed and winced, “Felicity, let’s wait until we get back to the loft, okay? Right now, I’m just unusually drowsy.” He yawned as deeply as he could since expanding his lungs caused his whole upper torso to ache.

Felicity looked at Oliver, concern written all over her face, “Oliver, Oliver, you cannot go to sleep right now.” She hopped off of the bed and put her bag down. She took her hand and gently shook his right shoulder. “Oliver, I’m going to go get the doctor.” Felicity stepped out from around the curtain and asked the first nurse she saw if he would get Oliver’s doctor to come and take a look at him.

Mark overheard Felicity’s request, walked over to her and asked if something was wrong.

Felicity replied, “I’m not sure. He’s really drowsy and not acting like he normally would.” I mean this man has been through torture, getting shot, skewered by a sword and who knows what else happened while he was on the island, she thought. Why was this bump on his head impacting him so badly, she wondered, but knew she couldn’t share her concerns with Mark or the doctor.

The doctor came over and Felicity let him know she was worried with how drowsy Oliver was feeling. The doctor stepped around the curtain to look at Oliver. “Well, we are definitely going to keep you here for a while at the hospital, Mr. Mayor, and I’m going to request blood work be done as well.”

Oliver lazily looked at the doctor and replied, “But I didn’t have any alcohol tonight, Doctor, nor was I the one driving.” Oliver’s mind was a little fuzzy. Did someone try to drug me, he wondered. He tried to school his reaction, but he did give Felicity’s hand a gentle squeeze to let her know that he was concerned too.

Felicity’s eye’s widened. She knew Oliver was thinking the exact same thing she was. Could Oliver have been poisoned or drugged during dinner with Mark and Mavis? Is that why he was so slow to react when the accident occurred tonight?

The doctor replied to Oliver, “It’s just a precaution, Mr. Mayor. We want to be able to rule out a few things.” The doctor left and shortly thereafter, a nurse came in and drew Oliver’s blood.

Felicity asked her, “When will the results be ready from the bloodwork?”

The nurse replied, “The doctor put “STAT” on the order so we should have the results back in a few hours.”

Felicity looked at Mark and said, “I imagine the press have already gotten wind that Oliver was in a car accident tonight. You and Mavis should work on a press release that I can issue on his behalf from City Hall and then you can issue a similar one from the campaign.”

Mark nodded his head at her in approval, “You are absolutely right, Miss Smoak. We need to stay in front of this and make sure that the press doesn’t make too much out of what happened. Plus, we are still waiting for the driver of the limo to get out of surgery to find out what caused him to swerve so unexpectedly.”

Felicity nodded her head, “I’ll speak to the Chief of Police and their Public Information Officer about not speculating about what happened since the primary witness is still unavailable to give a statement and that the Mayor and the passengers suffered only minor injuries. We’ll just focus on wishing the individuals involved a swift recovery and that we have faith in the SCPD’s investigation of this accident.”

Mark smiled at Felicity and said, “Walter said you were really smart, Miss Smoak. I think maybe you missed your calling as a political spin doctor.” He looked at Oliver and asked, “Maybe, I should be afraid you will replace me as your Campaign Manager?”

Oliver grinned at Mark’s teasing and replied, “That’s my girl.” He reached for her hand and squeezed.

Felicity chuckled and replied, “No thank you. I get dizzy just thinking about photo shoots, paparazzi and speeches.”

Mark nodded his head at her appraisingly and said, “I’m thinking you just might be this campaign’s secret weapon Miss Smoak. I might have to re-think my current strategy.” He smiled at Oliver and Felicity, then turned to go meet with Mavis.

Felicity smiled at Mark and said, "Hey, Mark, please thank your assistant for me."

Mark gave her a curious look and replied, "My assistant?"

"Yeah, Tonya Sun. She was the one who called me from Oliver's phone and let me know that you were all in a car accident."

Mark looked saddened and surprised. "I'm sorry Felicity, but you must be mistaken. It must have been one of the nurses here on duty who called you. Tonya Sun is no longer my assistant. She moved to Havenrock a few months ago to be closer to her family. She and her family perished when the bomb went off a few weeks ago."

Felicity looked stricken. Oliver gently squeezed her hand again. She replied, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Mark nodded his head at her and said, "Thank you." Then he left.

Oliver gently pulled Felicity onto the bed and into his embrace. She cried silent tears as feelings of guilt came flooding back to her. Oliver stroked her back gently and reminded her that she had been forced to make a tough decision, THE toughest decision. Felicity nodded her head, wiped the tears from her eyes and sat up.

They were interrupted when the Chief of Police arrived at Oliver’s bedside.

He nodded his head at both of them and said, “Mr. Mayor, Madam Deputy Mayor. I came over as soon as I was alerted by the officer who responded to the call.”

Oliver looked at the Police Chief and said, “Sam, I think we can dispense with the formalities right now. Please call me Oliver.”

Felicity, having composed herself, followed Oliver’s lead and said, “And please call me Felicity.”

Sam nodded his head again in acknowledgement and replied, “Of course. My team briefed me on my way here and let me know that we’re waiting for the limo driver to get out of surgery before we can speak to him about what exactly happened. In the meantime, I’ve got one of our best investigative teams working on this right now. As soon as we know something, I’ll contact you both.”

Felicity nodded her head in agreement and added, “Sam, please make sure that your PIO does not release any statements until either I or Oliver have approved them. We want to make sure that the message sent out is that although the Mayor, and his campaign staff were only mildly injured, our thoughts and concern are with the driver of the limo who was severely injured in the crash. We currently no nothing about the cause of the accident. Anything else would be pure speculation and we do not want to start any rumors or innuendos about what might or might not have caused this crash.”

The Police Chief replied, “Agreed. I should also let you know that Mavis Temple stopped me as I was walking back here and let me know that she has called a press conference for Oliver’s doctor to brief the press on his injuries and recovery. The press have already gotten wind of what happened and I saw several news crews setting up their remote crews in front of the Emergency Room.”

Felicity sighed, “Well, then we better give them what they want for now and ask them that they please move away from the Emergency Room area.” She looked at Oliver, who was starting to perk up a little now. She turned back to the Police Chief and said, “Thank you, Sam, for all that you are doing.” Felicity held out her hand to him and he shook it.

“Just doing my job, Ma’am,” he replied, nodded his head at the both of them and then left Oliver’s bedside.

Oliver looked at Felicity and said, “Babe, I’m so sorry, but I really need to go to the bathroom. I’m pretty sure I can make it, I just need to know where it is.”

Felicity blushed and replied, “Just give me a sec and I’ll go find out for you.” She found the bathroom and then helped Oliver out of bed.

He sat at the side of the bed for a moment to gauge his bearings. Once he felt confident that he wouldn’t pass out on her, he stood up and took a tentative step forward. I can’t believe how groggy I feel, he thought. I’ve had a concussion before and remember feeling sleepy and nauseous, but never like this, he thought.

“Oliver,” Felicity asked, “Do you want me to get someone to help you?”

Oliver shook his head no and said, “No, Babe. I can do this. I’ll be right back.” Oliver continued to walk slowly toward the bathroom and entered. When he was done, he opened the door and slowly made his way back to her. He sat down on the edge of the bed for a moment, before swinging his legs back up, to get comfortable again. “Thank you for being here with me.”

Felicity leaned over him and kissed him gently, “No other place I would be, Oliver.”

Oliver smiled at her. He reached for her hand. He gently stroked her ring finger and thought, God, how I miss seeing my Mother’s ring on her finger.

Felicity looked down at his hand and realized he was playing with her finger like he had done before. God, I loved how he used to hold my hand and roll the engagement ring with his fingers. She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his fingers. She looked around them and whispered in his ear, “Oliver, I think you may have been drugged during dinner tonight.”

Oliver looked up at her and nodded his head in agreement. He reached out to bring her closer to him and whispered back in her ear, “I think you’re right. Any chance you could take a look at the results of my blood work before anyone tries to tamper with it?”

Felicity nodded her head at him. Pulled away from him and reached into her bag to grab her tablet and a cable to connect it to the Hospital's network. Fortunately, the press conference occurring outside was garnering a lot of attention from the staff in the hospital. She took the opportunity when she saw them gathering around a TV on the opposite wall from the location of one of their work stations. She quickly connected her tablet to their system and broke through their security program to access the lab. She downloaded the results she had discovered from Oliver’s bloodwork. She quickly unplugged her tablet and rejoined Oliver where he lay, waiting for her. She sat on the edge of his bed and scrolled through the results. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until she came to the item listed as gamma-hydroxybutyrate. Felicity paused and looked up from the screen of her tablet. She pointed at the name on her screen and asked, “Oliver, have you ever heard of this one before?”

Oliver shook his head gently and replied, “I have no idea what that is, Felicity.”

Felicity opened up a browser window on her tablet and entered the name there. What she discovered made her seethe with anger.

Oliver could tell she was not happy. “Babe, what did you find?”

Felicity didn’t respond.

“Babe, babe…FE-LI-CI-TY!” he said slightly louder than he wanted to since he was trying not to draw any more attention than was necessary toward them.

“What?!” she responded, then quickly added in a hushed tone when she saw that several heads had turned their way, “Oh, I’m so sorry, Oliver, but I just found out what that chemical is and it’s a pretty powerful sedative. Someone had to have drugged you at dinner last night.”

Oliver frowned. Mavis and Mark had sat with him at the dinner table last night the entire time and all he had to drink was iced tea. He wondered, how the hell did someone slip something into my drink and I not notice it? Oliver said angrily, “Who the hell would do something like that?”

Felicity looked at him and said, “I have no idea, Oliver. What I do know is, that it’s likely you don’t have a concussion, but instead are just suffering from the side-effects that the drug produces. How were you feeling after dinner last night and while you were in the limo before the accident?”

Oliver replied, “I was feeling tired and a little groggy, but I assumed that it was because I was exhausted and nothing else. It didn’t even cross my mind that someone would try something like that with me.”

Felicity and Oliver sat on his bed waiting patiently for his test results to come back from the lab to see if anyone had tried to tamper what she had found. After a few hours of waiting for the lab results to be given to him, Oliver was beginning to lose his patience. The drugs effects were subsiding and now all he could think about was finding out who would dare to drug him.

Felicity could see the how firmly set his jaw was. She knew that he was going over and over in his mind that evening's events to try and figure out when it could have happened. She got up from his bed and walked over to the television to turn it on. The news were showing a picture of the crash site and a tow truck pulling out the battered limo from the embankment. Felicity gasped when she saw the twisted metal of the car and the broken out windows. All it's missing are bullet holes, she thought morbidly. She shook her head, trying to remove that thought from it.

"Hey," she heard Oliver say to her. "Felicity, come back over here, please."

Felicity turned around and joined him back on his bed. He wrapped his right arm around her and said, "I'm okay. I'm right here."

Felicity nodded her head, but still a few tears escaped down her cheek. She had come so close to losing him, again, she thought. She snuggled into his side and tilted her head up toward him, inviting him to kiss her. 

Oliver gently leaned down and kissed her on her waiting lips and then he gently rubbed his nose against hers, and smiled as she sighed and started to relax.

When the curtain was pulled back, it startled the both of them. There standing was none other than Carter Bowen in his white lab coat and stethoscope hanging around his neck. He had Oliver's chart in his hands. He gave Oliver a concerned look and asked,   
"How are you feeling Oliver?"

Felicity stood up from Oliver's bed, but continued to hold his hand. 

Oliver squeezed her hand and replied to Carter, "I've been better."

Carter looked down at Oliver's chart and said, "I see that they performed an MRI on you when you first arrived, but everything looks okay. They were concerned that you might have a concussion, but from everything I've seen, it doesn't look that way." Carter approached Oliver and shined a light into Oliver's eyes to gauge their reaction. He continued, "Your left shoulder isn't dislocated, but you might want to leave it in the sling for a few days to allow that side of your body to heal since it took the brunt of the force in the accident." A nurse walked over to Carter and handed him a piece of paper. "Well, it looks like your blood work came back." Carter scanned it and said, "Everything looks okay here."

Oliver and Felicity both looked at each other, then back at Carter.

Felicity asked, "His tox-screen came back okay?"

Carter smiled at Felicity and replied, "Yes, everything looks fine here." He looked at Oliver and asked, "Where you expecting to find something?"

Oliver smiled and said, "Nope. Not a thing." He looked at Felicity and then back at Carter and added, "So does this mean I'm going to be released soon so I can go home and get some rest? I have a pretty big day tomorrow with the Emergency Auxiliary Benefit to attend."

Carter replied, "I'm sure we will be able to release you Oliver, provided you have someone who can stay with you and keep monitoring your condition."

Oliver turned and looked at Felicity expectantly. "Felicity?" he asked.

Felicity jumped at her name. "What? Oh, yes, yes of course. I'll take Oliver home and keep an eye on him," she replied.

Carter frowned and said, "I can release you Oliver since your blood tests came back clear and you are doing better. I'll have the discharge nurse come over and bring you some forms for you to sign. I'm going to give you a prescription for pain medication and recommend that you make a follow-up appointment with your regular doctor."

Oliver shook his head at Carter and said, "Thanks Carter. I appreciate it." He extended his hand and they shook hands. 

Carter nodded his head at both of them, placed Oliver's chart in the slot at the foot of his bed and walked away. 

Felicity went to grab the chart and took a look. The blood work results had no mention of gamma-hydroxybutyrate. She put the file back, returned to Oliver's side, leaned into him and whispered, "Someone tampered with your blood work. There's no mention of the drug anywhere on the paperwork."

Oliver replied, "That means someone in the lab or with access to the hospital's computer network tampered with the report."

The discharge nurse arrived with the paperwork and all of his personal effects, including his cell phone. Felicity took a step back from him. She had Oliver sign a bunch of paperwork and then gave him the prescription for the pain medication.

Felicity asked the nurse if security would be able to escort them to her car so that they could avoid the media. The nurse let her know that she would have security come and talk to them. When security arrived, Felicity asked them what would be the best way for them to leave the hospital without being detected. Security once again recommended that they depart via the loading dock in the back of the hospital. The security officer let her know that he would help her exit out a side entrance so that she could get her car undetected and then he would meet her there with Oliver. Felicity thanked him, gave Oliver a quick kiss and then followed the security guard to the side entrance. His plan worked perfectly. She left the hospital undetected, got her car and met them at the loading docks. The security guard had made Oliver sit in the wheel chair as he met her at her car. Felicity chuckled to herself and wondered how loud that discussion about using the wheelchair must have been. 

Oliver was able to get into her car on his own. "Ugh, Baby, why do you have to have such a tiny car?" he complained as his knees uncomfortably hit the dashboard.

Felicity smiled and said, "Hey, I only have a few more months left on my lease. I was actually thinking about purchasing it." She nodded toward the back seat and said, "You know, sentimental reasons."

Oliver smiled and groaned at her. "Well, I did sort of bleed all over the back seat."

Felicity smiled back at him, replied, "Exactly!" She put the car into gear and headed back to the loft. She entered the garage and parked her car. She was so glad that her space was one of the closest ones to the elevator. They made their way up to the loft.   
Oliver entered and headed straight for the couch.

Felicity stopped him. "Oliver, you need to head up and lie down in the bed so you can get your rest."

Oliver shook his head no. "Babe, I'm going to stay right down here. You've been up all night with me at the hospital. You need your sleep too. Besides, I need to give Mrs. Sanchez a call. It's almost 7 a.m. right now and I imagine she must be worried sick."

Felicity looked at Oliver and replied. "I'll give JJ a call too and let him know that we both won't be in the office today."

Oliver smiled at her and looked down at his phone. He made the phone call to Mrs. Sanchez and let her know what had happened. He told her that he was staying at Felicity's place so she could take care of him, and that they would both be back in the office tomorrow. Mrs. Sanchez told him not to worry and that she and JJ would hold down the fort for them. 

Felicity finished her call with JJ at the same time. She walked over to Oliver and grabbed his hand. She gently tugged on it and said, "Come on Oliver. We both need a good day's sleep and the only way I know I'm going to get it is if you are with me."

Oliver gave Felicity a questioning look and asked, "Are you sure?"

Felicity nodded her head and replied, "I said sleep, Oliver, not tech support," she smiled at him and teased, "at least not yet."

Oliver smiled back at her. He found it funny that she had used the term she coined for whenever she wanted him while they were together. He knew she was trying to lighten the mood, but he also knew that deep down they were both scared. He said very solemnly, "Felicity, I agree. We both need a good day's sleep after everything that's happened and I'm not going to lie to you, I will sleep much better knowing that you're right next to me. I just want to make sure that you are really okay with this. I could always stay in the guest bedroom just down the hall."

Felicity continued to tug on his hand and said, "I'm sure, Oliver. We need the rest and this will insure that we get it, besides, I trust you." But do I trust myself, she thought.

Oliver nodded his head and followed Felicity up the stairs. Sleep, Oliver, he thought, you two are only going to sleep...get your necessary rest and then you are going to continue courting her. They got into the bedroom and Oliver automatically headed to his side of the bed. Felicity smiled, reached down and helped him remove his shoes. He laid back and could feel his eyes begin to close. Felicity leaned down, gave him a quick kiss on the forehead and then moved to her side of the bed. She too laid down and moved over to snuggle close to him. Before either one knew it, they were both fast asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> This chapter is about what happens after they wake up...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Thirteen

The loud beeps from a truck backing up could be heard throughout the loft. Felicity growled sleepily and went to move the pillow she was sleeping on to cover her head when she touched a warm body. She stilled, opened her eyes slowly and realized that Oliver was cuddled up against her and she was using his chest as her pillow, his arm snuggly around her waist. She looked up and noticed that Oliver was looking down at her, uncertainty showing in his eyes. She smiled up at him, moved to sit up, he removed his arm and she scooted toward the edge of her side of the bed. "Sorry about waking you up, Oliver," she said. But, I'm not sorry for using you as a pillow, she thought.

Oliver didn't move. He replied evenly, "It's okay. I was actually already awake." He sat up on the bed, nodded his head toward the open window and said, "I think your new neighbor is moving in today."

Felicity frowned. I wish it was you who was moving in downstairs, she thought. "Yeah, I guess so." She tilted her head and asked, "How are you feeling?"

Oliver shrugged his shoulders and promptly said, "Ow! I guess I'm still a little sore from last night." He looked at her and added, "I know it helped that I got a chance to sleep. I at least feel well rested now."

Felicity nodded her head, "Yeah, I think I'd still be asleep if it wasn't for that moving truck." 

Oliver asked, "What time is it?"

Felicity looked down at her phone she had a slew of text alerts and missed calls flashing on her phone that she ignored and looked at the time. She replied, "Wow! It's already almost 5 o'clock." She paused and her stomach grumbled. "Are you hungry?"

Oliver smiled, nodded his head in agreement and said, "I am." 

He moved to get up and out of bed, when Felicity stepped forward and said, "Oh, no, mister. You stay right there. I'll call and get takeout from the Thai place down the street."

Oliver smiled, "Felicity, I'm doing better. Granted my shoulder is a little sore, but I can still get up and move around." Oliver stood up and walked over towards her. "Pad Thai sounds really good to me right now."

Felicity smiled. "I'll place our order and ask them to deliver it. Then head downstairs and start taking a look at the traffic camera feeds that were in the area of your accident last night."

Oliver frowned. I still can't believe that I allowed someone to drug me and then the vehicle I am in gets run off the road? "I'm going to go take a quick shower, okay?"

Felicity nodded her head. Oh, God, hot steaming water and Oliver Queen. Oh my! "Uh, yeah...yep...yes, that's fine." Felicity walked over towards the closet. "I think I might still have a few of your clothing items in a box I've been meaning to give back to you." I've kept everything here in our closet, I mean my closet, waiting for you...just in case..., she thought. Felicity slid out a box, picked it up and placed it at the foot of the bed. "You should be able to find what you need in here. If not, I can always run over to the bunker for you..."

Oliver opened the box and looked inside. There on top of everything was a picture of the two of them from their trip around the world last year. Felicity was smiling at the camera and he was smiling looking down at her. He remembered when they took this picture in Italy. They had just been out wine tasting and Felicity was a little tipsy and giddy with life. He remembered how alive it felt to be with her, just the two of them, exploring places they had both never been to before so that they could experience it together for the very first time. It was a summer of firsts for the both of them and he loved her all the more for it.

Felicity knew what had Oliver transfixed once he opened the box. It was one of their favorite photos from their trip last summer. She started taking a few steps backwards toward the door and then nervously said, "Um, I'm just going to head downstairs now to place the order and return a few texts and phone calls I've missed," she said as she held up her cell phone and continued making her way to the bedroom door. As she opened the door to leave the room, she said, "Towels are still in the same place and there are extra toothbrushes in your drawer...I mean they are located in the drawer next to the sink." She shut the door behind her and scrambled down the stairs.

Oliver looked up once the door had been shut. He knew she was still skittish about them because of the choices he had made. He was just thankful that they had agreed to work things out together and that he was going to do everything he could to earn her trust back. He just needed her to not give up on them, to not walk away from him again. He rummaged through the box and found underclothing, socks, a pair of sweats and one of his green henleys. He took a slightly longer than normal shower, the warm water felt great on his skin. Once he was done and ready, he headed downstairs to join her at the kitchen table.

Felicity looked up and watched him as he made his way down the stairs and over to where she sat. My god, Oliver Queen, you do know how to make even casual clothing look down right sexy, she thought. Is there anything you can't wear and not make me want to drool all over you? 

Oliver furrowed his brow and raised one eyebrow. Why does she look like she's in pain? He asked, "Felicity, are you alright?"

Felicity kept staring at him. Then she heard him say her name as he walked closer to where she sat, "Felicity?"

"What, oh, um...yeah, no I'm okay. I was just wondering if you left me any hot water?" Oh, frack, Smoak, she thought, now he's going to make some crack about how you could have shared the shower to make sure you didn't freeze when it was your turn.

Oliver chuckled at that and remembered the countless number of times they had both used that exact same reason to enjoy showering together. "I'm pretty sure that there's enough hot water left for you." Come on Queen, lighten the mood a little. He asked, "Did you order dinner already?"

Felicity took in a breath of relief, stood up and said, "Yes. They mentioned that it would probably be 45 minutes until they could get here." She started walking past him toward the stairs and added, "I went ahead and left some money on the counter. Can you pay the guy when he gets here. I'm going to head up and take me own shower now that you're out of the bathroom." 

Oliver nodded his head and replied, "Sure no problem." He looked down at the camera footage she had up on her screens. "Do you want me to continue scanning through the video feeds you've got here on the screen?" he asked.

Felicity stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She knew he was going to be eager to do something. Oliver Queen was not one to covet inactivity. He was the complete opposite. He was only comfortable when he was in motion, doing something, anything. If he had to sit still and rest, she knew he would rather be sitting doing something, even something as tedious as going through camera footage. "That would be helpful, Oliver." she replied. "I won't be long." She scurried up the stairs and headed straight for the bedroom. She took a quick shower, then moved over to the closet. She wanted to be comfortable so she grabbed a pair of yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt that said "Viva Las Vegas" on it. Her mom had brought it for her because as Donna put it, 'she didn't want her daughter to forget where she came from and to have a little fun once in a while.' Felicity smiled at the memory. She and her mother were so different, yet so similar. It was really only now that she was learning to appreciate the grit, determination and toughness she learned from her Mom. Felicity heard the door bell ring and quickly got dressed. After tying her hair up in a ponytail, she scampered down the stairs to see Oliver place the take-out order bags on the kitchen counter. 

Oliver moved around the kitchen with ease. Thankfully, Felicity had not reorganized anything in what they had both considered to be his domain. Oliver quickly located the placemats, silverware, stemware and plates. He began setting up their place settings and then started to remove the take-out containers from the paper bag. He looked up at her and smiled. She could be wearing a paper bag and she would still take my breath away, he thought. "How about I open a bottle of wine?" he asked.

Felicity sat down on the corner of the kitchen counter. "That sounds great and the food smells wonderful." She watched him move around the kitchen effortlessly. She asked, "Did you find anything on the footage?"

He shook his head no. He replied, "The cameras all blacked out ten minutes before the crash and then for an additional ten minutes after the crash." Oliver was frustrated that the camera footage was a dead end.

"How are we being thwarted at every turn?" she asked. 

Oliver replied, "We'll figure this out, Felicity. I know we will." He walked over to the wine storage unit and looked for a particular bottle. He smiled when he found it and pulled it out for her inspection.

Felicity smiled at him and nodded her head in approval. She added, "I think that we need to include Lyla in on this, Oliver."

"I know that Lyla is no Amanda Waller," Oliver replied warily, "but anytime you involve A.R.G.U.S., something bad usually follows." 

Felicity titled her head at him and made her pouting face at him.

He relented, "Okay, I agree. We should ask Lyla for help with this. Everything we've been doing keeps coming up empty and her network of informants and technology at this point is far superior to anything we're currently capable of doing."

Felicity smiled and said, "I'll give her a call after dinner."

Oliver made quick work of opening up the bottle and then poured a little into her glass for her to taste. 

Felicity moved the wine glass closer to her, swirled it, then brought the glass up to her nose and breathed in the aroma of the wine. The memories started flooding back to her. She remembered when they bought this bottle of Barolo Monfortino in Italy. The winery was located at the top of a hill, with vineyard rolling along the landscape all around it. The tasting room was located on the first floor of the winery owner's villa and had a beautiful terrace overlooking the vineyard. They had just finished wine tasting and were out on the terrace admiring the view, when Oliver had asked another tourist if they would take a picture of them. When they had gotten back stateside, Felicity had printed a copy and framed it for him. She sighed softly as she gently poured the wine into her mouth and let it roll across her tongue, tantalizing all of her taste buds before finally swallowing it.

God, I love watching her enjoy her wine, he thought. He loved to watch her savor all the flavors as the exploded in her mouth and when she had finally swallowed it, she smiled at him wide and brightly. He had picked a great bottle of wine for them to share.

"Good choice, Mr. Queen," Felicity said with pleasure.

"I'm glad you approve, Ms. Smoak," he replied as he refilled her glass, then his.

Oliver continued to unpack their meal and opened the containers. He let Felicity go through first and pick out what she wanted, then he did. They sat their in companionable silence enjoying their meal. 

Felicity swallowed her food and said, "I checked in with JJ and he let me know that the press got wind that you are staying here with me right now. He suggested that we be prepared for a media storm outside of the building when it comes time for us to step out into the real world."

Oliver set his chopsticks down and looked at her. She doesn't seem angry about this, he thought. "I can always have a cab meet me in the garage below so that the press doesn't see when I leave..." he paused for a moment and then added, "if you want me to."

Felicity looked at Oliver. She didn't want him to leave. She almost lost him last night...forever. But she still needed time. Time to make sure that she could trust him again to include in any decision that directly impacted their relationship. She placed her fork down and said, "I don't want you to leave, Oliver," She could see the surprise and joy on Oliver's face when she said it. Please don't take this the wrong way, Oliver, she thought. "But, I also can't have you stay either."

That one sentence both raised him up and then made him come crashing down to earth all at the same time. She's afraid, he thought. After everything that has happened, she's still afraid that I'm going to hurt her...that I'm going to revert back to the person I was...the person who wanted to do everything on his own. But I'm not that man anymore, Felicity, he thought, doesn't she see that now?

Felicity could see the confusion and hurt in his eyes. I need to reassure him that I love him and that I need him in my life. He needs to know that I just need more time. Felicity reached for his hand and she clasped it tightly. She continued, "I wasn't kidding   
Oliver when I said that I wanted you to court me." She stood up, didn't release his hand and took the few steps she needed so that she was standing directly next to him.

Oliver looked at her warily. Then he let his head droop down so that his chin was almost touching his chest.

Felicity reached to cup his face and gently turn it to face her. She said, "I love you Oliver Queen and I know that you love me. This is our opportunity to build on that love and strengthen our partnership, together."

Oliver sighed and let his cheek gently rest in the cup of her hand. This is the woman I am going to spend the rest of my life loving, he thought, if she wants time and to be courted, then courted she shall be. He smiled at her and said, "Okay, Felicity." He stood up and pushed his chair back. "Thank you for dinner, but I should be heading home now."

Felicity looked at him aghast. What have you done, Smoak? "Oliver, I didn't mean for you to leave. I just wanted to be truthful with you and let you know how I am feeling right now." She could feel the tears starting build in her eyes.

Oliver smiled at her, wrapped his arms around her and said, "Felicity, I understand. This is my fault. I got caught up being here with you, then seeing the picture, having dinner and enjoying the bottle of wine from our time in Italy." He kissed the top of her head and continued, "It's just that for one precious moment, it felt like how it used to be and I didn't want that feeling to end." He took a step back from her and could see the tears starting to stream down her face. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.   
"Hey, everything's okay. I'm feeling much better after last night and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my day than sleeping next to you and then getting to enjoy this amazing dinner and bottle of wine." Good one, Queen. Keep reassuring her. You'll see her tomorrow at the office and the wooing will commence!

Felicity wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "Oliver, it would probably be better if you stayed one more night just to make sure that you are doing okay after the accident."

Oliver grinned, "I'm only a little sore right now and I have the exact pain medication that was prescribed for me in the bunker. I'll take a dose and then rest so that I'm ready for tomorrow, plus, don't forget tomorrow night's the Benefit and I know how much you want to see me in a tux." That's it, just tease her a little bit to lighten the mood, he thought.

Felicity swatted at his right arm and said, "You're not going to let me forget that I bribed Curtis to go with me tomorrow night by saying that you would be wearing a tux am I?" This is good, right, she thought, he's teasing me and I'm teasing him right back. We're okay, aren't we?

Oliver genuinely laughed and replied, "How about you give me an idea of what color pocket square I should wear tomorrow night?"

"Red," Felicity replied. "It has to be red."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it's so short, but it's likely the last update until maybe next Friday.   
> My mother-in-law is coming for a few days and our guest room also doubles as my office, hence not too much time on the computer.   
> So I hope this little chapter tides you over until I can post again.  
> Don't forget to let me know how you feel the story is going. I really do appreciate any and all feedback! :-)


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> This chapter has Felicity finding out who her new neighbor is and she attends the benefit. Stuff happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.
> 
> A big shout out to my hubby for keeping his Mom entertained with the boys so that I could get this little chapter out of my system and posted.
> 
> This chapter is for my dear friend Almondblossomme. You get your dance scene, my dear, dear friend. I hop you like it! :-)

Chapter Fourteen

Oliver left the loft right after helping clean up after dinner. Felicity could tell he was in pain, but no matter how many times she insisted that he stay he still left for the bunker. Once he was gone, Felicity called Lyla Michaels.

When Lyla answered, Felicity asked, "Is this a good time, Lyla?"

Lyla hesitated for a moment and replied in a tired voice, "It's as good a time as any. What's up Felicity?"

Felicity could hear in Lyla's voice how tired she was. It must be really difficult with John being gone while having to run A.R.G.U.S. and take care of Sara, she thought. I need to be a better friend and go visit them. She replied, "I need to ask for a favor. Oliver was in a crash last night and I've been unable to come up with anything via security camera footage and was hoping that you might be able to help us with the investigation."

"Is Oliver alright?" she asked, "Are you alright?"

Felicity sighed. "Yes, we're okay, but I keep hitting a brick wall every time I try to investigate lately."

Lyla paused for a moment. "What do you mean every time, Felicity? Has something happened more than once that has you worried?"

"There have been a few photos of me published recently by the tabloids that I'm not sure who took them. I've tried to go through different camera feeds, but each time the footage is missing or the cameras simply weren't working long enough to allow for the photographer to escape undetected. Then with Oliver's crash the cameras that should have captured the footage coincidentally stopped working for about ten minutes before and after. It's as if someone has developed something to interfere with camera feeds for a precise length of time," Felicity replied.

"What do you need me to do, Felicity?" Lyla asked. 

"Do you know of any tech recently developed that has that capability or maybe even a meta-human that has that type of ability?" Felicity asked.

Lyla hesitated for a moment, then replied, "I haven't heard of either, but I'll see what I can find out."

"I appreciate the help, Lyla" Felicity replied. Then she added, "I've been meaning to call and see about visiting you and Sara..."

"That's okay, Felicity," Lyla replied. "I think we've both been busy lately with our respective duties."

"Still, it's no excuse," Felicity said. "John would be disappointed that I haven't made time to visit you both. How about this weekend? Maybe we could take Sara to the park or the zoo?"

"Sure, Felicity," Lyla said. "I know that she'd love to see you." Lyla corrected herself, "We would love to see you."

"Great!" Felicity replied. "I'll stop by your place on Saturday at 10 a.m."

"See you then," replied Lyla. "If I learn of anything, I'll let you know."

"Thank you, Lyla," Felicity said. "See you Saturday." Both ladies hung up the phone. 

Felicity looked around at the empty loft. She hated it. She had spent so much of her life alone. When she became a part of Team Arrow, it was as if she had discovered her place in the world. Team Arrow gave her a purpose of working for the greater good of their community. Working with John and Oliver made her feel wanted and needed. She knew that they respected her talents and how well she was able to do her job to help them protect Star City. Lately, though, she didn't feel like she was being much of a success. A simple thing as tracking down a stalking paparazzi shouldn't be giving her this much trouble. It was really a mystery and she hated mysteries, she thought to herself.

The ringing of her phone brought her mind back to the here and now. She looked down at the phone to see Curtis smiling face. It made her smile in return.

"Hey, Curtis," Felicity answered.

"Felicity, how are you doing? How's Oliver?" he asked in rapid succession.

Felicity smiled, "We are both doing fine. Oliver just has some bumps and bruising, but he's doing much better," she replied. Then she remembered that JJ was supposed to take his sister, Hannah to tour Palmer Tech earlier today. Felicity asked, "How did the tour with JJ and his sister go this afternoon?"

Curtis replied, "That kid is something else, Felicity. We're going to have to keep our eye on her. She's got some great ideas and definitely has talent. She brought in a drone that she's been working on at home. The really cool thing is that it's actually a burglar alarm system. It uses facial recognition software to make sure that a member of the household or a pet doesn't accidentally trigger its alarm. It has a few design flaws that can be easily fixed with a few tweaks, but I think that our young Miss Jordan may be a budding Miss Smoak in a few years."

Felicity smiled. "Thank you for taking the time to give Hannah the tour. She and her brother lost their father when Darhk's underground village exploded," Felicity explained. "JJ mentioned that she's been using her tech builds as a way to cope with what happened. I haven't seen any of her stuff yet. If you think it looks that promising, maybe you can convince Mr. Dennis to allow her to job shadow you a couple afternoons a week if you wouldn't mind?"

"I'd love that!" Curtis replied. "That kid really is talented. When she's old enough, I know she'd be a great addition to the Palmer Tech team."

Felicity smiled at the high praise Curtis was giving JJ's little sister. She would have loved to have the opportunity to job shadow someone at a high tech firm when she was Hannah's age. "Curtis, don't forget tomorrow night. You, me, Oliver in suspenders..." Felicity said.

"I'm your guy," Curtis said. "Well, actually, I'm Paul's guy, but you know that already and he knows it already so we're all good." 

Felicity chuckled. "Hey Curtis, why don't you come over a little earlier and you can help me with something I'm having issues with in my investigation of the photographer. Do you think you could get off of work say around 5 p.m., instead? You can get ready here at the loft?"

Curtis took a breath and said, "Sure, it shouldn't be a problem. Paul had my tux cleaned and pressed yesterday. See you tomorrow at 5 p.m. at your place."

"See you tomorrow," Felicity replied as she ended the call. Tomorrow, hopefully, will be a better day, she thought.

The next morning, Felicity did not want to deal with the paparazzi by walking to work. Plus, she rationalized, she needed to drive to Rita's, her hair stylist/make-up artist, studio at 2 p.m. to start getting ready for the Benefit that night. So she drove her car the three quick blocks to City Hall. When she arrived at the office, she walked into the reception area and could smell warm cinnamon and vanilla in the air. She took a deep breath in and smiled. She looked over at Mrs. Sanchez, who was smiling quite contentedly at her desk. Felicity said cheekily, "Well, someone sure is in a good mood this morning."

Mrs. Sanchez replied with a knowing look in her eye, "I am." She reached down and picked up a piece of what looked like coffee cake and took a bite.

Felicity's eyes widened. "Is that what I think it is?" she asked Mrs. Sanchez.

"I'm not sure what you're asking, Deputy Mayor Smoak," Mrs. Sanchez replied sweetly as she took another bite and smiled.

Felicity turned away from her and walked into her office. There on her desk was a potted fern with a small package wrapped in parchment paper tied with a beautiful red bow. A small card with her name written in familiar handwriting stared back at her. She placed her travel mug of coffee down, reached for the card and opened it.

It read simply: Felicity, save a dance for me tonight. Love, Oliver.

Felicity placed the card down, slid the bow off the package and unwrapped the paper. Inside was a small loaf of coffee cake for her. She lifted the tiny cake and smelled it. It reminded her of their home in Ivy Town and how often Oliver would bake some new creation to tantalize her with. His recipe for coffee cake was her favorite thing to eat for breakfast, especially since they usually ended up making love, or "working out" another euphemism she used, afterwards. Felicity placed the loaf back down on its wrapper.   
She picked up the small potted fern and placed it on the right corner of her desk. Then she sat down in her desk chair and began to enjoy her treat with her coffee.

JJ arrived a few minutes later and walked into her office. He thanked her for arranging for the tour at Palmer Tech. He let her know that Hannah couldn't stop talking about everything she saw and how Curtis complimented her on her drone alarm system. It was the happiest his sister has been since their father died. He also wanted to know who he should thank for the delicious coffee cake he had found on his desk that morning.

Felicity smiled and said, "You need to thank Mayor Queen."

At 9 a.m., she and JJ joined Mrs. Sanchez in Oliver's office to go over his schedule. All three of them thanked him for the delicious coffee cake he brought them. Oliver blushed and said he was happy that they enjoyed their cake, then he gave Felicity a sly little wink and they continued with their meeting. Now it was Felicity's turn to blush. She coughed, then let them know that she would be leaving the office as soon as the Department Directors Meeting was done for an appointment. They wrapped up the meeting and   
Oliver asked her to please stay. Felicity stayed in her seat as Mrs. Sanchez and JJ left Oliver's office. He followed them and closed his office door. He walked back to sit in the seat next to her and said, "Felicity, I received some bad news last night from Mark."

Felicity reached for his hand and asked with concern, "What happened?"

Oliver replied, "Mark wanted me to know that Mr. Thomas, the limo driver, didn't survive the surgery yesterday."

Felicity gasped. "Did he say what happened?"

Oliver replied, "Only that they were going to do an autopsy to see if it was the crash that caused it or if it was something else. In the meantime, the police are continuing with their investigation into the crash."

"Do we know anything about Mr. Thomas' family? Can we send them something or do anything to help them?" Felicity asked.

Oliver replied, "Mark said that Mavis would take care of that. He was going to use campaign funds to help pay for the funeral."

Felicity looked at him and said, "That's really a nice thing for you to do, but won't people think you're just doing it to gain votes versus it being the right thing to do?"

Oliver took in a deep breath and said, "That's why Mavis gets paid the big bucks so that when word gets out, she can make sure it doesn't appear like we're trying to milk poor Mr. Thomas' death to benefit the campaign."

Felicity decided to change the subject and said, "I should let you know that I spoke to Lyla last night," Felicity informed him. "She's going to see if A.R.G.U.S. can come up with anything and then let me know." Felicity paused for a moment and then added, "I also mentioned to her that I wanted to see her and Sara this weekend an offered to go with them to the Park or the Zoo on Saturday morning."

Oliver smiled at her and said, "I think that's a great idea. You should spend some time with Lyla and Little Sara this weekend. I think I'm supposed to be walking precincts on Saturday, anyway."

Felicity frowned. She was planning on inviting him to join her, but since he already had plans, "Oh, that's great! I mean, now that you are actually running against someone, I guess you're going to need to start getting out the vote." She smiled at him. 

Oliver nodded his head, stood up and walked back around to his desk. Did she not like the fern I bought her, he wondered. Does she not remember what ferns mean to us? He said, "Well, I should get my notes ready for the Directors' Meeting at 10.” He paused for a moment, then looked at her and asked, “Was there anything else you needed, Felicity?"

Felicity stood up. Oh, crap, she thought, I forgot to thank him for the fern! "Just one more thing, Oliver...Thank you for the beautiful fern. I really love it." She smiled at him.

Oliver smiled back. "You're welcome."

Felicity headed for his door and left his office. She had her own preparations for the meeting and then it was off to Rita's to get ready to knock off Oliver's socks when he saw her tonight!

Later that afternoon, she looked in the mirror at the amazing job Rita had done on her hair and make-up for the event tonight. Felicity said, "Wow, Rita, I look gorgeous!"

Rita laughed and replied, "Well, it's not difficult when you've got such a great face and hair to start with!" Then she spun Felicity's chair around to face her and said, "You're going to knock all of their socks off!"

Felicity smiled to herself and thought, there's only one pair of socks I want to make sure that get knocked off, and pictured Oliver in his tuxedo staring at her in awe. She stood up, gave Rita a hug and thanked her. Then she headed out the door, went straight to Big Belly Burger and headed home to meet up with Curtis. Once at the loft, she dropped the food off on her counter and went up stairs to put a robe on, then she headed back downstairs to wait for him. Felicity looked up at the clock on the microwave and it flashed 5:15 p.m. and still no Curtis. This was not like him to be late. If anything, Curtis was notoriously early everywhere he went. Finally, at 5:30 p.m. Felicity called his cell phone to make sure he was okay.

Paul answered the phone and said, "Hey Felicity. I was just getting ready to call you and let you know that Curtis came home a little while ago with food poisoning. He said something about a bad burrito..."

Felicity groaned. "Oh, no! Poor Curtis. I hope he feels better soon."

Paul replied, "I think he'll be better as soon as he's done getting it out of his system. I'm sorry, but he won't be able to attend the benefit with you tonight."

Felicity sighed and said, "No worries, Paul. I hope he feels better."

"Thanks for understanding Felicity," Paul replied and hung up the phone.

Ugh, she thought. I guess I'm going to have to go alone. Felicity went back upstairs and finished getting dressed for the Benefit. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She had picked up a red strapless, floor-length ball gown that hugged her every curve and had a single slit up to mid-thigh. The gown was made out of silk that glimmered in the light. Felicity choose to leave her neck bare and wore a pair of diamond chandelier earrings as her only adornment. She was amazed that Rita had managed to tame her mane into a beautiful twist with small curls delicately pinned to the twist. Once she was done admiring herself, she headed downstairs, opened up the car service app and ordered a town car to pick her up at the loft to take her. There would be no walking to the event tonight without an escort. She saw no reason to tempt fate and get almost mugged again, especially, when she knew the Green Arrow was busy tonight.

Felicity looked at the clock and realized that the car service should be downstairs soon, so she headed for the elevator and started her descent down to the ground floor. She was surprised when the elevator stopped on the floor just below hers. The doors opened and standing there was Dr. Carter Bowen, looking handsome in a tuxedo.

Carter smiled and said, “You look beautiful, Felicity.”

Felicity tilted her head, pursed her lips into a thin smile and said succinctly, “Thank you.” You are not the person I wanted to tell me that, she thought. 

Carter entered the elevator and stood next her. “Looks like we’re going to be neighbors, Felicity. I may need to borrow a cup of sugar later,” he replied as he looked her up and down.

“Sorry, Oliver does the baking at my place and there’s no more sugar left,” she retorted. Felicity moved closer to the back of the elevator. Come on elevator, hurry up and get to the ground floor already, she inwardly groaned and thought to herself.

Carter smiled smugly. The elevator finally stopped on the ground floor and Felicity bolted out. The car service had not arrived, but there was a beautiful sleek, black Maserati parked out front. Carter looked at Felicity and said, “Would you like a ride Felicity?”

Felicity shook her head no and said, “Thank you for the offer, but I’ve ordered a car service to pick me up…in fact, they should be here any minute now.”

Carter smiled and said, “Well, then I’ll take this opportunity to catch up with you then, before the benefit." He moved closer to where Felicity stood waiting for her ride to the benefit. He said, "Tell me what you love about the neighborhood, neighbor.”

Felicity looked down at her phone, avoiding eye contact with him. The car service app showed that the car was on its way, but it still hadn’t arrived. Just answer him, Felicity and get it over with, she thought. “The little market across the way is great for your kitchen staples. There’s usually a Farmer’s Market in the plaza at City Hall on Saturdays, which is usually when I stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables.” Her phone alerted her that she had a text message waiting. She looked at it and saw that the car service wanted to let her know that the driver was having car troubles and that a secondary driver was on their way, but that they wouldn’t be there for another hour. Felicity looked upward, closed her eyes and shook her head in frustration.

“Is there something wrong, Felicity?” Carter asked with concern.

“My car service just let me know that they’ve been delayed an hour,” Felicity said in exasperation. 

Carter smiled at her, gave her a slight bow, extended his hand to her and said, “Your chariot awaits Mademoiselle Smoak.”

Felicity stood there debating in her head what to do. She shook her head in frustration and finally said, “Fine…come on, let’s go,” as she walked towards Carter’s car. She looked at him as he held the door open for her and said, “This does not mean that I’m attending this event with you, Carter.”

“Of course not, Felicity,” Carter smiled at her as he shut her door. He then got into the driver’s seat and made his way the few blocks to the event site. Carter drove his car with ease through the city's streets. He pulled up right to the red carpet, unlocked his door and hopped out. Felicity tried opening her door, but it was still locked. 

Felicity gave Carter a side-eyed glance and he smiled back at her as he quickly unlocked her door and held it open for her to exit. The paparazzi swarmed his car instantly. All Felicity could see were flashing lights. You had to wear a form fitting dress didn't you, Smoak, she thought to herself as she struggled to get out of the low sitting car. Carter extended his hand and assisted her out of his vehicle. As she stood up, Carter deftly wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her onto the red carpet. Felicity whispered through her teeth to Carter, "Remove your arm right now."

Carter looked down at her and smiled, then he slowly removed his arm.

Great, she thought. That's going to be the shot on the front page of the tabloids tomorrow. Way to go, Felicity, she thought, as she berated herself in her mind. Felicity walked as quickly as she could down the red carpet and into the event without looking back.   
She ignored the shouts of the photographers for her to stand still so they could get her picture. She knew she wanted to get inside and find Oliver to warn him about what happened. Once inside, she went straight to the registration table, received her program, bidding number and walked further into the venue. 

The event planners had outdone themselves tonight. They had managed to transform the lobby of the old train station into a magical forest replete with fairies mingling with the guests, a carefully lit champagne fountain labeled as 'The Fountain of Youth', and a stage currently occupied by a string quartet situated next to a dance floor. She saw Oliver standing with his back to her. He was amidst a group of people who had supported his first campaign for Mayor. 

Walter was with him and saw Felicity first. He smiled and walked toward her as Felicity approached their group. He leaned down, kissed her cheek in greeting and said, "Well done, Miss Smoak. You look smashing!"

Felicity beamed at him and said, "Why thank you, Mr. Steele. You look pretty great yourself."

Walter escorted Felicity back to the group, tapped Oliver on the shoulder to get him to turn around and said, "Son, I believe this is someone you've been waiting for?"

Oliver turned fully toward Walter as he moved out of the way. Oliver's face lit up like Christmas. He reached for Felicity's hand, brought it up to his lips and said, "Simply beautiful."

Felicity blushed as his eyes never left her once. "You look amazing too, Oliver." She reached up and gently tugged at the red pocket square he was wearing in his tuxedo jacket and smiled. "You remembered," she said. 

Oliver leaned down, reached for her hand, tucked it into his jacket so she could feel the suspenders he was wearing too and said, "I remembered these too." He gave her a quick wink, then tucked her arm into his and brought her completely into his circle of supporters. Everyone was busy exchanging pleasantries, when Felicity noticed Mavis walking straight toward them. 

Mavis wore her beautiful long black hair straight down her back. Her dress was an amazing chartreuse color with a halter top, no back and the full length skirt flowed as she walked revealing dual slits which accented her shapely long legs. Once she reached the group, she walked straight to Oliver and said, "Mr. Mayor, they are ready for you to give the welcome."

"Thank you, Mavis," Oliver replied. He nodded his head to the people in his group and let them know that 'Duty called', then he gave a quick kiss to Felicity's temple and followed Mavis to the stage. 

Felicity smile at him and said, "Break a leg."

Oliver returned the smile and continued walking. The MC introduced Oliver and welcomed him on stage. Oliver shook the MC's hand and walked over to the podium, smiling at the crowd. He said, "Thank you everyone for being here. Tonight's event is our opportunity to kick-off our rebuilding efforts for Star City." Oliver paused for a moment and caught Felicity's eyes. She smiled so brightly at him, it gave him strength to continue speaking. "I know that the road ahead of us is long and that it will take time. Time that for many of our friends, family members and loved ones no longer have. So tonight, I ask you to join me...join me in our rebuilding of Star City in their memory and in the memory of all those we've lost. Tonight is not about us. Tonight is about them. This is our opportunity to honor them and to remember that it's not just about our individual accomplishments, but instead about how we are all able to work together and show the world that we will not give in and give up when adversity strikes. It is our time to put all differences aside and rally around a common goal. Our shared goal of making Star City great again. I ask you, each and every one of you, to help me make this happen. Through your commitment and dedication, I know we can do it. Thank you!"

The crowd cheered loudly as Oliver waved at them and he made his way off the stage and over to where Felicity waited for him with Walter. She was still smiling at him and it buoyed his spirits, making him feel loved. The string quartet began playing again, a tune he wasn't familiar with, but something that he knew all those years of attending cotillion would allow him to do just this, as he wrapped Felicity in his arms and then twirled her onto the dance floor.

Felicity gasped at how quickly he had surprised her with the sudden and elegant movement onto the dance floor. The quartet had started playing a hauntingly beautiful melody that she knew was by Beethoven, but couldn't quite recall it's name. Felicity whispered in Oliver's ear, "I have two left feet, so I'm so sorry if I step on your toes."

Oliver smiled down at her and replied, "I've never noticed," and he kept them gracefully moving around the dance floor. Soon, other couples joined them as the quartet changed their tune from classical to a string quartet version of Adele's "Hello". Oliver pulled   
Felicity in close to him and placed one arm around her waist and the other held her hand up to his lips for him to kiss. 

Felicity sighed and leaned in close to him, resting her cheek on his chest. She didn't want this moment to end, but knew that she needed to tell him about what happened with Curtis and Carter earlier before he found out from anyone else. As soon as the song ended, Felicity looked up at him and said, "Oliver, I need to tell you something."

Oliver looked down at her and said, "Come on, Baby, let's go get something to drink." He kept his arm firmly around her lower back and guided her to the closest bar. 

They got their drinks and Felicity turned to Oliver and said, "Oliver, you need to know what happened earlier with Curtis."

Oliver asked with concern, "Is he okay?"

"He should be better by now, I hope," replied Felicity. "I spoke to Paul earlier and he let me know that Curtis had gotten food poisoning and was unable to escort me to the event tonight."

"That's too bad," then Oliver looked at her and asked, "So how did you get here, if Curtis wasn't with you."

"I believe I rescued the damsel in distress," answered Carter .

"I have never been a damsel in distress," replied Felicity coldly.

Oliver tightened his arm around her, extended his other hand out to Carter and very evenly replied, "Thank you, Carter, for making sure that Felicity arrived safely."

Felicity gave Oliver a side-eyed look, but he merely squeezed her side gently, hoping she would take the cue to not cause a scene. He knew Carter was hoping to get a reaction out of either one of them or both.

Carter reached for Oliver's offered hand, shook it and said, "It was truly my pleasure." Then he added, "Plus it gave me an opportunity to learn a little bit more about all the hidden gems in the neighborhood from my neighbor. Isn't that right, Felicity?"

Oliver took a step back, looked down at Felicity who grimaced at him and nodded her head, "I let you know about the Farmer's Market and the grocery store. But I don't think we'll be exchanging recipes any day soon, considering I don't cook, Carter."

Carter chuckled and replied, "I thought it was baking you didn't do, Felicity." Carter grinned at Oliver and said, "I asked if I could borrow some sugar."

Oh, that is it, Carter Bowen, Oliver thought. Oliver reached back, ready to take a swing at Carter, when he noticed Felicity stand right in between the two gentlemen and say, "Carter, I believe you are acquainted with Oliver's Communications Director, Mavis Temple?" Felicity turned around and pointed in the direction behind Oliver.

Oliver turned around to see Mavis standing there, giving Oliver a quick shake of her head. Mavis moved around Oliver and walked right up to Carter. She said, "What a delight to see you again, Dr. Bowen. Would you care to have a dance with me?"

Carter grinned, reached for Mavis' offered hand and said, "I could never say no to beautiful woman," and he directed Mavis onto the dance floor.

Felicity turned back around and watched Oliver storm off toward the side entrance. She followed him as he made his way outside into the cool night air. She knew that he had allowed Carter to get under his skin and he needed to blow off some steam. Normally, she would have told him to go do a couple of rounds on the salmon ladder, but then that would usually lead to other things like working out and tech support, both of which would not be appropriate for where they were right now. Once they were both outside,   
Felicity approached Oliver cautiously. As she got closer to him, he held up one hand to halt her progress for a moment.

Oliver needed a moment to contain his anger. He wasn't angry at her. He was angry at himself for allowing Carter to push his buttons. Oliver turned around to face her. All he could see was the woman he loved, standing there so patiently, concern apparent in her eyes, giving him the space and time he needed to compose himself before she approached him. Oliver took in a deep breath and opened his arms wide.

Felicity stepped into his embrace and held him tight to her. She allowed her hands to gently stroke his back then move their way to his face which she cradled in both hands and gently tugged down to meet her lips.

Oliver sighed and hugged her tighter to him. He deepened the kiss as he needed to savor her mouth. He brought her body firmly against his, needing her to be as close as possible to him. His body's reaction to such close contact with her was immediate. 

As soon as Felicity felt him harden against her, she sighed into his mouth, which fueled his desire for her even more. She allowed his hands to roam wherever they needed to as they stood there in each other's embrace. She was not going to make him stop. She knew he needed this just as much as she did.

The discreet cough that came from the direction of the doorway alerted them that they were no longer alone. Oliver quickly moved Felicity behind him anticipating a need to defend her, when he looked to see Mark Francis standing there, with his eyes looking down and away from the two of them. Mark said, "Hey you two, there's a party going on in here and there are still more hands that Oliver needs to shake and work on making sure they support his campaign." He shook his hand back toward the event space and said, "I'll just wait for you two on the other side of the door, okay?"

"Thank you, Mark," Oliver replied, "Felicity and I will be with you shortly." 

Mark nodded his head at them and re-entered the venue.

Oliver turned back around to see Felicity putting the strands of hair that had come loose back into place. Her cheeks were still flushed and her lips looked thoroughly well-kissed. "So that happened," Oliver said as he lifted his hand to cup her face.

Felicity smiled up at him and replied, "We both needed that and I'm glad it did."

Oliver tugged her back into his arms and gave her a quick kiss on her nose. "We better get back inside before Mark sends someone else out here to drag us back in, Felicity."

Felicity smiled at him and replied, "Let's go get you some campaign donors!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Felicity does a favor for a friend and something unexpected happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Fifteen

The next morning, Felicity woke up bright and early, well rested and ready to take on whatever come what may. She laid in bed reviewing everything that happened last night and smiled. The event had gone smashingly for her and Oliver. The kiss they shared was magical, just like the theme of the event. She stretched her arms above her head and pointed her toes, just thinking about how wonderful that kiss had been, right up until Mark had caught them. That heavy dose of reality came at just the right or wrong time, she thought. She knew that she and Oliver still had many things to work out and couldn't really fault Mark for his timing. 

Once back inside the event, they had both worked the room, gaining several commitments of support from many leading citizens of Star City with the means to financially contribute to Oliver's Mayoral Campaign. A few of the people had politely let them know that they were supporting Carter, but for the most part, many of the attendees were firmly in Oliver's camp. After the event, Oliver drove her back to the loft and politely escorted her to the door of the loft’s building. He gave her a gentle kiss good night and told her that he would see her in the office the next morning. 

Felicity sighed, wrapped her arms around herself and smiled as she sat up in bed. She was sure about two things in her life. The first was that Oliver loved her. The second was that she loved Oliver. No matter what happened next, she knew that these two things were constants in her life. But was their love enough, she wondered. The sudden ringing of her phone snapped her out of her thoughts. She stretched over and reached for her phone. She saw Lyla’s face appear on her phone. Felicity answered right away,   
“Hi Lyla, is everything okay?”

“I wish,” Lyla replied abruptly. “The A.R.G.U.S nanny is sick and her normal replacement is on vacation…I hate to ask, but is there any way you could come over and watch Sara until about Noon? I’ll be done with my meetings by 11 a.m. and will come straight home.”

Felicity paused for a moment and thought about her schedule for the day. She could move around a few meetings if she called JJ right now to reschedule, she thought.

“I’ll sweeten the deal by giving you two hours of access to the new A.R.G.U.S. server tomorrow morning before we go to the zoo,” Lyla tempted. ‘My team hasn’t had a chance to look into Oliver’s accident because of a situation elsewhere, but you’ll at least get a crack at locating the missing footage.”

“Sold!” replied Felicity without hesitation. She knew that the new A.R.G.U.S server was attached to an alleged A.R.G.U.S. satellite that captured and stored all camera feeds from around the country. Lyla just confirmed its existence and now she would be able to access the camera feeds from the night of Oliver’s accident and see what really happened. “Just give me 45 minutes to get ready, check in with the office to let them know I’ll be in this afternoon and then I’ll be right there.”

Lyla let out a sigh of relief, “Thank you so much, Felicity. I really appreciate it!”

“See you soon,” Felicity replied. She quickly fired off two texts. The first to JJ to let him know about her change in schedule. The second to Oliver to let him know that she would be helping out Lyla this morning with Sara and back in the office this afternoon.

As she got up to head to the bathroom, her phone rang. She ran over to it and saw it was Oliver. She answered the phone, "Hi Oliver."

"Is everything okay with Lyla and Sara?" he asked.

"Nanny issues," Felicity replied. "Turns out even clandestine government agencies have employees who call in sick too."

"Do you need me to come and help?" he asked.

Felicity smiled at his offer. "I think I've got this, Oliver," she replied. "But, thanks for offering."

"Are you sure? I mean, kids can be a handful," he stressed.

Felicity chuckled, "I think I can handle one two year old, Oliver. Besides, I've baby-sat for John and Lyla before on their date nights." Granted, Sara was an infant then and not mobile, but what's the worst that could happen, she thought.

"She's almost 3, Felicity," Oliver corrected.

"So I take her to the park and let her run off some of that energy," Felicity replied.

"You might want to clear that with Lyla, Felicity. She might not want her daughter out in the open, unprotected," he added. Lyla as the head of A.R.G.U.S. is now a potential target, along with anyone she loves or cares about, Oliver thought, come on Felicity, invite me over to help.

"Oh, alright then," Felicity answered. "I'll clear it with Lyla and see if she's planning on leaving an agent or two to protect us."

Oliver sighed a little in relief. That's not the same as if it were me, he thought, but at least I will worry less. "Well, then how about I pick up sandwiches for lunch and bring them over to the house, then I can give you a ride back to City Hall when Lyla gets home?"

Felicity smiled, "That sounds like a wonderful plan. See you at 11:30?"

"See you then, Oliver..." Felicity paused for a moment and added, "I love you."

Oliver replied, "I love you too," then they both ended the call.

Felicity quickly got ready and headed downstairs to catch a cab. Once she arrived at Lyla's apartment building, There were two guards already stationed at the front door. They nodded at her and opened the door. As she entered, Felicity heard them say into   
their comm link "Harbinger, Hera is in the building." She looked over her should back at the guards, who gave no reaction and closed the front door. Felicity headed up the three flights of stairs to Lyla's apartment and was met by two more guards standing sentry duty. They nodded their heads in unison at her and knocked on the door.

Lyla opened the door, "Thank you again, Felicity, for agreeing to watch Sara." Lyla took a step back to allow Felicity entrance.

Felicity replied, "Not a problem. I'm happy to help, plus, I get to spend quality time with my favorite munchkin!"

Sara came running out of her room and headed straight for Felicity, arms up, screaming, "Auntie Ti-Ti!"

Felicity scooped up Sara and held it tight. She loved Sara so much and gave her kisses on both cheeks. 

Sara said demandingly, "No, Auntie Ti-Ti. Nose kiss!"

Felicity laughed, "Okay, Sara," then she rubbed the toddler's nose with her own.

Sara laughed and then wiggled her way down out of Felicity's embrace and headed back into her room.

Felicity turned back to face Lyla and asked, "So when did I become Hera, Harbinger?"

Lyla smiled, "Well, I didn't want to out you as Overwatch, so I gave you the A.R.G.U.S. handle of Hera."

Felicity chuckled, "So is Oliver, Zeus?" 

"Negative," Lyla replied. "He's Parkour."

Felicity smiled. That fit him perfectly, she thought. Then she remembered what Oliver told her. She asked, "Do you mind if I take Sara to the park today? I thought she might tire herself out on the playground and be ready for a nice long nap by the time you got home?"

Lyla frowned, "I'm not so sure that's a good idea, Felicity. Normally, I only allow Sara out in the open with a minimum of three guards, including the nanny and me or John."

It was Felicity's turn to frown. Is this what she would have to look forward to if she and Oliver had a family. Being on constant alert for any threat to them or their children? Is that the type of environment where she wanted to raise a child? She thought for a moment and asked, "What if Oliver were to come along with us?" 

Lyla took in a deep breath and stared at Felicity for a moment. "Is this Mayor Queen tagging along with his own security detail or are you talking about the Green Arrow making a sudden appearance in the light of day at a children's playground?"

"Oliver doesn't travel with a security detail as Mayor, Lyla," she replied. "It would just be him. He wanted to bring over lunch and then drive me back to City Hall once you had returned. I could have him meet us at the park across the street, take the security detail you already have assigned to your building with us and then you could meet us there at the park or we could come back here to the apartment?" 

"Sara could use the fresh air and sunshine," Lyla confessed. "She's had to be cooped up in the house this week while the nanny has been away." Lyla tilted her head and finally nodded in agreement, "Okay, Felicity. But you do everything the security detail asks of you, agreed?"

Felicity nodded her head in agreement, "Absolutely!" She looked around the apartment and asked, "Are there any other enhanced security measures I should be aware of?"

Lyla nodded her head and walked her through the apartment, making sure to point out where her secret stash of weapons were locked and the panic button locations around her home. She even gave Felicity a small device to keep in her pocket, should be away from one of the stationary buttons, this one would trigger the panic signal with the agents and also back at A.R.G.U.S. headquarters. With John gone, Lyla had increased security of their home exponentially. She gave Felicity her trigger word and brought in the security team for a briefing of Sara's day before she left. The four agents would stay with Felicity in their positions outside and inside the building. When Mayor Queen arrived, Lyla wanted Oliver armed as well. The agents agreed that they would provide him with the weapon of his choice, then they would escort them across the street to allow Sara her playtime and lunch, until Lyla returned home. Once Lyla felt comfortable with the plan, she gave the order for her car to be brought to the house and she left for A.R.G.U.S. headquarters.

Wow, things were never so complicated before, Felicity thought. She looked down at Sara as the guards left the apartment for their respective stations. "Okay, kiddo, how about we call Uncle Oliver and let him know about the change in plans?"

Sara looked up at Felicity, clapped her hands and squealed, "Unka Over!"

They called Oliver and let him know about the plan. He had rearranged all of his meetings as well and was planning on stopping by the house now at 10:30 a.m. to give Sara plenty of playtime at the playground and then they would eat lunch. Once they ended the call, Felicity took Sara back to her room and held a lovely tea party for the two of them and fourteen of Sara's favorite stuffed animals. By the time Felicity next checked the clock she heard a knock on the door. She asked, "Who is it?"

The reply came, "Parkour is in the building."

Felicity smiled and opened the door. Oliver had several grocery bags in his hands and he entered the apartment. "Can I help you with those, Oliver?" she asked.

Oliver smiled at her, leaned in, gave her a quick kiss on the lips and replied, "Nope, I'll just put these on the table."

Little Sara raced out of her room like a bolt of lightening. "Unka Over! Unka Over!" She launched herself at Oliver and he caught her and tossed her gently in the air as she laughed in delight. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and the little girl demanded,   
"No Unka Over! Nose kiss!" Oliver quickly obliged Sara's request then set her down and she ran back into her room.

Felicity smiled at Sara and Oliver's interaction. He would make an amazing father one day, she thought, and then she remembered William and frowned. Oliver had made the decision to sacrifice a life with his son to protect him. Would Oliver continue to make that same sacrifice if she gave him a son or a daughter? Would he send them away to protect them from harm? Or would she awake one day to find him already gone? Felicity turned away from Oliver, grabbed the bags of food he had brought and walked into the kitchen to give herself some space away from him.

Oliver sensed something was wrong. Felicity abruptly turning away from him made him nervous. Had he done something? Just apologize, Queen, he thought. Find out what it was later, but for now, just say those two little words..."I'm sorry, Felicity."

When she heard Oliver apologize, Felicity stopped aimlessly putting away the groceries Oliver had brought with him to make their picnic lunch. She place both of her hands flat on the table to brace herself and looked up at him, her eyes rimmed with unshed tears.

Oliver went to wrap his arms around her and she stepped back, away from him. She was about to say something when Sara cried out. Felicity ran around him and over to Sara's room. The toddler was laying there in the middle of the tea party screaming, tears running down her eyes. Felicity sat down on the ground, picked up Sara and held her tightly against her. Both girls allowing the tears to stream down their faces. Felicity took a breath and soothed Sara. She looked down at her and asked softly, "What happened, kiddo?"

Sara sniffled and replied simply, "Fell." Then the little girl burrowed her head into Felicity's shoulder and cried some more.

Felicity rocked Sara back and forth, cooing at her. As Sara calmed down, it allowed Felicity the opportunity to calm down too. She kissed the little girl's head and noticed Oliver standing there in the doorway with a sad, faraway look on his face.

He turned around from her and walked away. When she heard the apartment door open and close, Felicity thought, he's given up on our little family before we could even start one. The tears came back and she held Sara tighter to her chest. This heartache was her fault. When everyone else had left, she was the one who stayed. Had she really thought this through or was she simply thinking with another part of her anatomy, she wondered. She remembered what her life was like without him. The emptiness she had felt without him when he left to fight Ra's al Ghul to save his sister's life and she thought he was dead. The loss of him when he lad later been forced to join the League of Assassins to save his City. His absence when she was recovering in the hospital and he couldn't bring himself to visit her because he was busy hunting down Damien Darhk. The lonely nights after she returned the engagement ring to him because he hadn't included her in his decision-making. She had allowed Oliver Queen to become so entangled into her life again, and here she was still crying over a decision he had made of which she had no part in. Hadn't they talked about discussing their feelings with each other and not shutting the other person out? She wasn't sure how much time had passed as she sat there cradling little Sara. All she knew was the little girl had managed to cry herself to sleep while Felicity held her. She heard the front door open and Felicity gently place Sara down so she could get up and see if the Agents needed something. When she exited Sara's room, she saw Oliver standing there with a white paper bag. 

Oliver walked over to Felicity and handed her the bag. "I thought you and Sara might like this." Oh, Baby, I hope I've given you the space you needed to forgive whatever it was I did earlier, he thought.

Felicity opened the bag, looked inside and started crying all over again. He had gone out and bought her a gallon of mint chip ice cream. How could she have doubted him? He hadn't abandoned her. He wasn't running away. He was trying to make her feel better, to soothe her pain. Felicity placed the bag on the counter and wrapped her arms around Oliver. He really was her other half, as she knew she was his. "I'm sorry, Oliver," she said as he gently stroked her back.

Oliver kissed the top of her head and said, "What on earth do you have to be sorry about?"

Felicity pulled away slightly to look at him and replied, "I doubted you."

Oliver looked very seriously at her and said, "I don't blame you, Felicity. I've doubted myself before too. Can we talk about what I did that made you doubt me?"

Felicity nodded her head and hugged him tight. She said, "I saw you with Sara and it made me think what a great Father you will be and then I remembered William and how you sent him away to keep him safe and then I thought if we ever had a family you would send us away or worse, you would leave. Then I watched you leave me and Sara right now and I thought I had lost you again, like I had when you fought Ra's and then joined the League and then I got hurt and I gave you back the ring and..."

"Baby, I am never going to leave you unless you ask me to," Oliver said emphatically. "You are my always, remember? And I hope, that one day I'll be yours..." Oliver leaned down and kissed Felicity gently on the lips.

Felicity wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss when she heard a little voice say, "Mommy kiss Daddy too!" They turned to see a smiling Sara staring at the two of them.

"Well, Uncle Oliver loves Aunt Felicity and I plan on kissing her some more, okay?" said Oliver to Sara.

Sara giggled and said, "Nose kiss!"

Felicity laughed and said, "Okay, Sara, nose kiss."

Felicity reached up and rubbed her nose against Oliver's, while Sara giggled, clapped her hands and said, "Again!"

Oliver kissed the tip of Felicity's nose and scrambled after Sara. The toddler laughing as Oliver scooped her up and held her upside down blowing kisses on her exposed tummy as he walked her back into her room.

Felicity followed and continued with the tea party for Sara and her toys, while Oliver went back into the kitchen to prepare their picnic for the park. While Felicity played with Sara, Oliver was briefed by the security agents Lyla had left to protect Sara and Felicity.   
Oliver was given his choice of weapons and chose the Glock. Once everything was ready and the park had been cleared for them, they walked across the street to allow Sara some outdoor playtime.

Felicity could tell that the agents and Oliver were on alert. It made her uncomfortable with her request to take Sara outdoors, but watching the little girl having fun playing on the playground soon made her realize that she had made the right decision. That part of the park where the playground was, had a patch of grass surrounded by a hedge of thick bushes, shielding it from the street. Felicity hoped that it was one of the reasons why Lyla allowed Sara to play there as it afforded those using the area a certain amount of privacy. They were sitting down on the blanket Oliver had packed when they noticed through the bushes the trio of black SUVs parking on the street in front of Lyla's building. Felicity pointed them out and whispered, "I think Lyla finished early."

The agents tried to confirm the occupants identities to no avail. When the vehicles' occupants exited and quickly took out the two A.R.G.U.S. agents standing in front of the building, Oliver looked directly at the agents with them for directions. They nodded their head at him, tossed him a set of keys and ran toward Lyla's apartment building.

Oliver grabbed Sara and told her, "Okay sweetie, we're going to play the quiet game. Do you remember how to play?" 

Sara nodded her head and pressed her lips together firmly.

Oliver smiled down at her and whispered in her ear, "Good girl."

He motioned for Felicity to join him and they ran straight to the other side of the park while the remaining A.R.G.U.S. agents distracted the attackers. 

Felicity reached into her pocket and triggered the panic button Lyla had given her, but it wasn't working. The attackers must have some type of signal blocker that they are using, she thought. 

Oliver guided them to the A.R.G.U.S. vehicle parked near the park. He placed Felicity and Sara in the back seat, and sped away straight to A.R.G.U.S. headquarters. Once he was sure they weren't being followed he called Lyla.

Lyla answered, "What the hell happened?"

Sara started to whimper when she heard her mother's voice. Felicity wrapped her arms around her and held her tight, comforting Sara.

Oliver replied, "We're almost there Harbinger. Alert the sentry," Oliver looked up at the visor and saw the vehicle's ID number. He added, "I'm in vehicle SD-242."

"Roger, vehicle SD-242, granted immediate access," Lyla replied. "Occupants cleared for entry."

"We'll talk when we get there, Harbinger," Oliver said.

"Copy that, Parkour," Lyla replied. "Signal lights are coordinated on your current route. Do not deviate. Repeat, do not deviate. A clean-up team is headed to your previous location to assess the damage and situation."

They arrived at A.R.G.U.S. headquarters 10 minutes later, the sentry recognizing their vehicle as it approached and gave them access. Oliver parked the vehicle as soon as they were safe in the underground garage. They exited the vehicle and ran to the elevator.

When it opened, Lyla was there and Sara bolted for her mother's arms. She quickly checked her daughter for any injuries and kissed her. They entered the elevator and Lyla quickly pressed the button for the command center.

"Game over?" Sara asked softly.

Lyla smiled at her daughter and said, "Yes, darling. Game over and you win!"

Sara smiled and clapped her hands together, shouting, "Tootsie Roll!"

Oliver and Felicity were holding onto each other. They looked at Lyla who shook her head at them. Once they arrived at the Command Center, Lyla placed Sara in her office next to a toy area she kept for Sara. She handed her a small unwrapped Tootsie Roll and said, "Okay, honey, go be a good girl and play in Mommy's office for a while."

Sara grabbed the candy, put in her mouth and sat down and played with her toys.

Lyla closed the door, turned around to them and asked again, "What the hell happened?"

Oliver spoke first, "We were hoping that you were going to tell us."

"All I know is I'm down four field agents, my home has been compromised and the attackers identities are unknown," Lyla replied. "The clean-up team has not reported back to me yet. Once I get their report, hopefully, we'll have a few more clues as to who was behind this attack and why."

Felicity gasped. "The other agents are gone?" she asked.

Lyla simply nodded her head in acknowledgement. She quickly looked at Oliver and asked, "Did you get a look at any of them?"

Oliver and Felicity both shook their heads. "All we saw were the black vehicles, which I thought were A.R.G.U.S. until the agents you assigned to us couldn't speak to anyone via the comm link to verify their identification. When the attackers took out the front door guards, your other two agents tossed me the keys to the vehicle we escaped in and we came straight here," replied Oliver.

Lyla looked at Felicity and said, "Interested in checking out that new server and satellite I mentioned to you this morning?"

Felicity nodded her head, "Definitely!"

Oliver called into Mrs. Sanchez to let her know that he and Felicity had decided to take a long weekend and head out of town for a few days. She let him know that she would reschedule all of their meetings and wished them a wonderful weekend. When Oliver turned around to see how Felicity was doing, he could tell she was in the zone and shouldn't disturb her. He knew that she and the computers were processing data as quickly as possible. This was the part that he hated. All he could do was either sit or stand and watch her work her magic.

Lyla walked over to him and handed him a cup of black coffee. "Any thoughts as to who might have done this?" she asked Oliver.

Oliver took a drink of the coffee, then he replied, "I was hoping that you might have some thoughts about it?"

Lyla replied, "Well let's list who we've collectively managed to piss off over the years. There's the Triad, the Mob, H.I.V.E., Malcolm Merlyn, the League of Assassins..."

"This wasn't the work of the League, Lyla," Oliver stopped her. "Nyssa disbanded them."

Lyla nodded her head and continued, "What about the Bratva?"

Oliver shook his head. The Bratva would not target someone in A.R.G.U.S., he thought. One secretive organization would not want to antagonize another secret organization. Then he looked over at Felicity. They would target someone they found unworthy.   
Would they target Felicity? What has she ever done to garner their notice? Then he remembered their trip to Russia.

"Talk to me, Oliver," said Lyla. "I see you know something and you didn't have that look until I mentioned the word Bratva."

Oliver looked at Lyla and said, "You know my history, Lyla. The Bratva would not make a move in Star City without contacting me first and they have not contacted me at all."

"Perhaps, you've fallen out of favor with them, Oliver," Lyla replied evenly. "Maybe you've become their target now."

Oliver frowned. "I need a secure line, Lyla."

She nodded her head and directed him to an empty office. She closed the door as he picked up the phone and dialed a phone number. The person on the other end of the line answered in an American accent, "Simpson's Plumbing, how may I help you?"

Oliver replied in Russian, "This is Captain Oliver Queen. The red door has been opened and requires a new lock."

The person on the other end of the line paused for moment and said in Russian, "One moment please, Captain."

His call was transferred and the person on the other end answered in English, "Oliver! It's been too long, my friend."

Oliver replied, "Anatoly, you're right. I've been meaning to come back for a visit to thank you again for your assistance, but things here...have been complicated."

Anatoly chuckled, "In other words, a beautiful woman has entered your life and given you a run for your money, eh?"

Why are they after Felicity, he wondered. "Quite the contrary, my friend. She is to be my wife."

Anatoly paused, "Congratulations, my friend! We had heard otherwise, but I am delighted to hear that you have resolved your troubles. You will have to bring her back to Russia so that we can celebrate your marriage."

"First, I must finish rebuilding my city, my friend. Once we are done, then I will come to Russia for a visit...to pay my respects, of course," Oliver replied, the threat implicit.

"We mean no disrespect, Oliver. You are Bratva. You're wife will be Bratva," Anatoly paused for a moment.

"Speak plainly, Anatoly," Oliver demanded. "What do you want with my wife?"

"She is not your wife yet, Oliver," Anatoly reminded him. Then he clarified, "The Bratva is not after your beloved, my friend. However, we still monitor what happens in your life and we know that someone means you harm...someone means you both harm. We want to help, but will not intervene unless you ask it of us. You know how the brotherhood works, Oliver. Will you ask us for help?"

Oliver thought long and hard about his answer. This was a part of his life that Felicity knew very little about. He would be forced to tell her everything he had done. He wouldn't be able to shield her away from the truth that was his past. He would have to open up a part of him that he had buried deep, so deep that he preferred not to think about it. But here is Anatoly, offering his assistance and all the complications that come with it. What would Felicity do? She would talk to him about it. He could not make this decision without her. He replied, "I have been on this line for almost too long Anatoly. I will call you back in 24 hours with my decision."

Anatoly snorted and laughed, "Please tell Felicity I look forward to seeing her again. She owes me another opportunity to win back some of the money I lost to her in our poker game, my friend." Then Anatoly said soberly, "24 hours," and hung up the phone.

Oliver exited the office and walked over to where Felicity sat, Lyla hovering around her. 

"What did you find out, Oliver?" Lyla asked.

Oliver shook his head. He wasn't ready to lay out all his cards on the table. He needed to speak to Felicity first. He asked Lyla, "What did the clean-up team discover?"

"They haven't reported back in yet other than to say that they had cleaned up the scene and were searching the location for any additional clues," Lyla replied.

Felicity raised her fist up and exclaimed, "Boo Yeah!" She turned around and faced Oliver and Lyla. "The vehicles were rented here in Star City to someone named August Mitre."

Lyla gasped.

Oliver and Felicity looked at her. Oliver asked, "Who's August Mitre, Lyla?"

Lyla looked at them both and replied, "August Mitre is a professional hitman wanted for the murder of several A.R.G.U.S. agents in South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. We were aware that he had originally targeted Amanda Waller, but assumed that with her death the contract would cease to exist. Whoever is financing him, must have placed a bounty on my head," Lyla said. She took a deep breath and said, "I'm going to have to alert Johnny about this."

Lyla's phone buzzed. She answered it. Nodded her head and said simply, "Thank you."

She looked at Felicity and Oliver. "They found the vehicles abandoned a few miles away from the apartment building, close to the airport."

"What was inside Lyla?" Oliver asked.

Lyla looked at Felicity and said, "They had a photograph of you Felicity. I wasn't the target. You were."


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Felicity has a heart-to-heart talk with someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Sixteen

Felicity looked at Oliver in horror. Who would want to kill me, she thought. She closed her eyes and saw the collective faces of thousands of former Havenrock citizens who she killed with a split second decision. Felicity wrapped her arms around herself and leaned forward with her head hanging low.

Oliver kneeled down next to her, gently rubbing her arms with his hands until she looked up and into his eyes. He said, "Hey, we're going to figure this out together."

Felicity sniffled, "What's to figure out? Obviously, someone has targeted me for death and lord knows I've given people plenty of reasons to want to kill me lately." Felicity stood up and started pacing around the room. Yeah, like tens of thousands of reasons to want to see me die, she thought.

"I'll assign security to protect you until we figure this one out, Felicity," replied Lyla, then she looked at Oliver, who merely nodded his head in agreement. 

Felicity looked at Lyla with concern. She hadn’t had to have security before. Oliver and John may have worried about her in the past, but knew that she had made her choice to work with them and would live with the consequences of that choice. She asked,   
"Now that I'm Deputy Mayor, how was this going to work with the press or Oliver’s campaign for Mayor.

Lyla added, "We can call them your new project managers, if you prefer. Tell the public that you successfully won a grant to fund the hiring of some hot-shot infrastructure gurus to assist you with the rebuilding of the water treatment facility."

Felicity slowly nodded her head yes and said, "Alright." This was not going to be an argument she would win if she declined Lyla’s help of a security team.

Oliver looked at Felicity, then turned toward Lyla and asked, "Lyla, is it okay if Felicity and I use that office over there to talk for a moment?"

Lyla nodded her head yes, walked over to Felicity and said, "It's going to be okay, Felicity." She gave Felicity's arm a little squeeze then went to check on Sara in her office.

Oliver walked over to Felicity, escorted her to the empty office and shut the door. "Baby, we need to talk about what happened and the phone call I made earlier while you were working."

Felicity looked up at Oliver. Phone call, she wondered. Was I that far in the zone that I didn't even notice Oliver had left my side to make a phone call? She followed Oliver over to the couch.

They sat down on the little couch in the office and Oliver held her hands in his. This is it Queen, he thought. You need to tell her everything about Russia. Oliver took in a deep breath and said, "I know I've told you almost nothing about my time in Russia..."

Felicity chuckled at that statement. You mean you’ve told me next to nothing and what little I do know has been gleaned from what I could piece together by Anatoly’s comments while I was beating him at poker, she thought.

Oliver continued, "And you only learned a little of what my life was like when we had to go to Russia to rescue Lyla."

Felicity squeezed his hands and smiled at him in reassurance, "Oliver, you can tell me anything."

Oliver pursed his lips, "Um-huh..." He paused for a moment and said, "Lyla and I were discussing the various organizations and individuals we've managed to tick off over the years and one group in particular was the Bratva. She suggested that I contact them to find out if they were behind what happened earlier."

Felicity looked down at their intertwined fingers and asked quietly, "Were they?"

Oliver shook his head no, "You remember Anatoly, right?"

Felicity smiled. After she had defeated him soundly at poker, Anatoly had laughed and told her he admired her poker skills. "He told me he wanted a re-match the next time I was in Russia."

Oliver grinned and said, "I'm sure he did." Anatoly admired beautiful and smart women, he thought. Then he said, "I spoke to him earlier and he specifically mentioned you in our conversation." Oliver paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Just tell her what you told him..."He warned me that someone means us harm."

Felicity scoffed, "When doesn't someone mean us harm, Oliver?"

Oliver shook his head and replied, "This time it's different...This time, the Bratva is offering to assist us with this matter. For them to offer help means that the situation is beyond our abilities to deal with it on our own. Maybe even, beyond just having A.R.G.U.S. as an ally..."

Felicity tilted her head and studied Oliver's face for a moment. There's something else he's not telling me, she thought, something very important. "Go on..."

Oliver continued, "Their assistance comes with a price Felicity. A price that will not be revealed until I ask for their help. In the past, the payment required was usually having me kill someone who owed them money or who needed to be made an example of."   
Oliver let his head droop down, his eyes looking at the floor. What she must think of me, he thought.

Felicity reached both hands for his face to bring it back up. Then she leaned in and kissed him. "You did whatever you had to do to survive, Oliver." She smiled at him and continued, "If we have learned nothing from recent events except that survival was most important, than what good was it for all the sacrifices that had to be made?" She gasped after she said those words. "Wow, I need to listen to my own advice," she admitted to him.

Oliver pulled her into his embrace and kissed the top of her head, "We've all had to make split second decisions, Felicity, and then we allowed us to beat up on ourselves because of those decisions. You were forced to make a terrible choice that no one should ever have to make. But, I know, Lyla knows, John knows and the rest of us here knows that you made the right decision. You made a choice and we all survived as a result." He hugged her tighter to him and said simply, "Thank you for saving our lives." 

Felicity was gaining strength from Oliver's words and was finally at a place where she could mentally and emotionally open herself up to listening to her own advice she had given him. She said softly, "Thank you Oliver for saying that. I think it's finally starting to sink in with me now." Especially since someone is targeting her, which means anyone close to her could get hurt and she knew she would not allow that to happen. 

Oliver sat up straighter and moved her so that she was facing him now. He had to talk with her about Anatoly's offer. "I'm being asked to make a decision regarding the Bratva that I don't want to make without talking to you first."

Felicity looked up at him in wonderment. Did he really just tell me that he wants my input?

"But I know that you won't want to help me make a decision until I've given you all the facts," he continued.

Felicity nodded her head in agreement and added, "I don't think we have enough time for you to tell me everything that happened to you in Russia, Oliver."

He smiled at her and she smiled back. "You're right. I'll try to give you the most important highlights and then fill in the rest whenever you have a question." Felicity nodded her head for him to continue and he said, "I saved Anatoly's life allowing him to escape the island and return to Russia. Another friend was not so lucky. When she died on the island, I made my way to Russia to let her parents know of her and her brother's death. While in Russia, Anatoly helped me get back on my feet and I began doing whatever the Bratva needed to thank him. As time went on, I progressed to the rank of Captain and was given my own territory until I made the decision that it was time to come home to right my family's wrongs and save my city." He paused for a moment. He knew he was glossing over some important details, but the basic facts were still there, completely intact and should be enough for Felicity to make an informed decision, he thought. But there was still a few more variables he needed to add to the equation. Oliver continued, “Once I was home, I used the local arm of the Bratva to assist me with taking down the Count and then again when I was trying to track down Slade Wilson. The latter causing the death of the local head of the Bratva, a death for which I still have not paid a penance for…” 

Felicity interrupted him, “Oliver, Honey, if we need the Bratva’s help, then we need the Bratva’s help." She gave his hands a squeeze and added, "I haven’t seen you this nervous about something since Slade came to town and we all know what a crazy man he was, plus it took help from A.R.G.U.S. and the League of Assassins to take down his Mirakuru army. With the League disbanded and any stragglers not likely to help us, we need to turn to every single ally we can think of and if that means the Bratva, then so be it.” It was Felicity’s turn to hesitate for a moment, then she added, “Besides…I trust you.”

Oliver smiled at her after hearing her say those three most important words. She trusts him. The woman who he thought he had hurt beyond reconciliation was sitting there, holding his hands, looking into his eyes, into his very soul and telling him that she trusts him. He closed his eyes. He needed to word very carefully what he was about to tell her next. Now comes the part I'm most nervous about, he thought. How do I tell her that she needs to be my wife to be fully protected by the Bratva? Would Anatoly be willing to make an exception for me and simply protect her because she is the woman I love? He’s already made so many exceptions regarding my place within the Bratva…Would he be willing to make another, he wondered. He looked at her and started,   
“Anatoly has given us 24 hours to let him know if we wish to have his help or not.”

“Why does it seem like that’s out of the ordinary, Oliver?” Felicity questioned.

“Because it is out of the ordinary, Felicity,” Oliver replied. “The expectations of a Bratva Captain are to be decisive without being fool-hardy. To seize an opportunity when presented and make the most of it. Anatoly knows that I’m being cautious because this decision does not just impact me. It impacts you,” Oliver paused, then added, “significantly.”

“Is Anatoly making us an offer we can't refuse?" she quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

Oliver's eyes grew dark, concern written all over his face. "He's not the Godfather, Felicity. Anatoly is the Pakhan. His orders are not to be ignored or his offers of assistance to be disregarded. He knows more than he is willing to tell us and the only way we are going to find out what that could be is by accepting his offer of help and agreeing to whatever the terms are he sets forth. He already knows that I'm discussing this with you. He made a point of acknowledging you and our relationship in the conversation. I need you to be prepared to be a part of those terms if he asks it of you." Oliver stopped for a moment, took a breath and said, "You need to know that the terms could be life altering on a permanent basis, without the ability to walk away from them."

Felicity looked at Oliver with confusion. What could Anatoly want with her that would change her life irreversibly? Granted she was now a wealthy woman with controlling interest of Palmer Technologies, but the Bratva was wealthier and had more power and influence than most foreign countries. What could he ask of her that would change her life forever? Felicity snorted, "What, like he's going to want my first born child or maybe demand my collection of Dr. Who DVDs? What do I have that he would be interested in?" 

Oliver shook his head no. He replied, "Nothing like that, Felicity." How do I tell her that he wants us married? I want us married. I hope she want us married, he thought. But, I can't rush her into something that she's already told me she's not ready for...I have to give her an out, he thought to himself. He continued, "If you tell me that you don't want to agree to a set of terms that we will have no way of knowing what they are ahead of time, then I'll call him right now and let him know we appreciate his offer but that at this time we are unable to accept it."

Felicity took a moment to weigh everything Oliver said. She studied his face for a moment longer. He's still holding something back from me, she thought. What could be so terrible that he doesn't want to tell me? She asked, "What exactly did Anatoly say regarding me, other than the poker re-match he wants?"

Oliver was trying control his facial expression, but knew it was of no use. Felicity always sees right through me, he thought. Bite the bullet, Queen and tell her. "When I became Captain, I was also supposed to get married..."

Felicity pulled away from him. "Okay, Edward Rochester," Felicity spat out, "Now you've got a secret wife living in Russia?"

Who the hell is Edward Rochester, he wondered. "What? No! Who's Edward?" Oliver asked, confusion setting in. 

Felicity stood up and walked around the desk in the room, using it to separate herself from him. "Jane Eyre? Charlotte Bronte?" Felicity groaned, then continued, "Edward Rochester hid his mad wife in the attic of his manor home and she didn't get revealed until the middle of his attempted wedding ceremony to an innocent young woman, Jane Eyre. Now that I think about it, your old home would have made a great Thornfield Hall…"

Oliver walked over towards her, but she put her hand up and shook her head no to stop him. He said, "I don't have a secret wife in Russia, Felicity. Anatoly allowed me to leave Russia without being married so I could come home and rectify the damage my   
Father had done to Star City. He has plans of expanding in the U.S. and I know his ambition helped me be able to leave Russia and come home." Oliver paused and then added, "By asking the Bratva for help, they are going to want me to reclaim my position within their organization." He looked at her and saw the fear, confusion and hurt all at once shining through her eyes. Oliver knew the next words out of his mouth were likely the furthest thing from Felicity's mind and heart at the moment, but he knew he had to say them. "Felicity..." He was stopped mid-sentence when they heard a knock on the door. He turned around to see who it was.

"Oliver?" Lyla asked as she opened the door. "I'm so sorry to interrupt, but we've located a safe house that August Mitre has been using for at least a few weeks. The team located a flash drive that was hidden in the house that will need to be analyzed." Lyla looked at Felicity, noticed her stricken face, frowned and then asked, "I was hoping that you could assist my team with the analysis, Felicity."

Felicity walked around the desk and as far away as possible from Oliver as she headed toward Lyla, "Of course, I'd be happy to help," leaving Oliver standing in the now empty office. Felicity followed Lyla over to the workstation she had been using and Lyla inserted the flash drive into the available USB port. Felicity scanned the device for harmful programs first, then once it was secure, she opened the files and began reviewing their contents. She lost track of time as she sat there going over all of the data. She sat back, removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. The flash drive contained information about her and her alone. 

She couldn’t believe the sheer volume of photographs it contained. There were pictures of her from nearly every angle and from almost every moment of her day. There were even photographs of her while in the loft, as well as in the Mayor’s office that had to have been taken from the buildings across the street from both locations. There were detailed reports of her daily activities for the past couple of weeks, who she had met with and where she had gone. Notes had been made each time that she had gone to   
Oliver’s campaign headquarters and what time she had left. They had to know that she worked with the Green Arrow, but did they know that he was Oliver Queen, she wondered. She had never had her privacy invaded like this…Even the lacrosse player who had stalked her in college was not this bad, she thought. She opened her eyes and looked around her. 

Oliver was sitting in a chair close by watching her, waiting for her to say something to him. 

She knew that they still needed to finish talking about the Bratva and what that was going to mean for them, but right now, she just needed a moment to process everything she had found. She rose without saying a word to him, walked back over to the empty office and shut the door. She needed time. Time to think about everything that was contained on the flash drive. Time to think about what this all meant for her. Time to think about what she thought Oliver was planning on telling her about the terms the Bratva were going to demand from them both if they helped them. She had an idea of where Oliver’s explanation was going, but she didn’t want to think about THAT right now. Right now, she wanted to find August Mitre and get him tell her who wanted her dead. She chuckled to herself. From as many photos as had been taken, why didn’t that person simply engage a sharpshooter to take her out? She didn’t have bullet-proof glass at the loft or the office. Why go to all this trouble, when it could have been so easy to eliminate me? The fact that Lyla’s team were able to recover a flash drive from Mitre’s safe house had to mean that it was left there to be found. It was left like a bread crumb for her to follow and like an omen that “something wicked, this way comes.”

The knock on the office door made her look up. Felicity motioned for Lyla to enter.

“Hey, you ready to talk about what you’ve found?” Lyla asked.

"I guess," she replied. The Felicity looked at Lyla and asked, "Lyla, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Lyla answered and closed the office door. "What's up?"

"How much do you know about the Bratva?"

Lyla frowned. "Not nearly as much as Oliver," was her reply. She watched Felicity carefully.

Felicity said, "They've offered their help, but Oliver is worried about what the price he...I mean we are going to have to pay for that help." Felicity walked over to the little couch and Lyla joined her. "Oliver mentioned that as a Captain in the Bratva, he's expected to be married." 

Lyla nodded her head and said, "I'm aware of that."

Felicity looked at Lyla. Just how much do you know about Oliver's time in Russia, Felicity wondered. How much did that evil Amanda Waller share with you about her prized pupil? She took in a breath and said, "I think he's afraid to talk to me about getting married out of fear that I'll turn him down. I think he's worried that I'll feel like he's forcing me into a marriage of convenience just so that the Bratva will protect us."

"Will you turn him down, Felicity," Lyla asked, "and if you don't, would it be a marriage of convenience?"

Felicity shook her head and said, "No...not really."

Lyla smiled at the young woman and said, "Don't you think you should be having this conversation with Oliver and not with me?"

"If I start talking to Oliver, he's going to be his broody self and start blaming himself for making me marry him, when in fact I really do want to marry him, I just wasn't planning on having to get married to him so soon. I thought we would have a chance to woo each other and take things nice and slow."

Lyla chuckled, "Did Johnny ever tell you the story of our first wedding?"

Felicity replied, "All he ever said was that it was done basically on the back of a tank in Afghanistan."

Lyla smiled, "We were in the middle of the worst firefight yet. The enemy had us pinned down and we were running really low on ammo. Johnny looked at me as he handed me his last clip and said, 'When we make it out of here, the first thing I'm going to do is get the base chaplain to marry us.' I smiled at him, kissed him and then we proceeded to keep defending our position. Luckily for us, reinforcements arrived shortly after that and were able to eliminate the enemy combatants. Once back at the base I made a crack about saying things you didn't mean under duress and Johnny pulled me behind a tank and said, 'Sweetheart, I meant every word.' The next thing I knew, Johnny had the chaplain and the members of our team there to witness our vows next to that very tank. Marrying that man was the best thing I have ever done and divorcing that man was the worst thing I have ever done. But we managed to find our way back to each other and Oliver Queen played a role in that."

Felicity was stunned. "What did Oliver have to do with that?" she asked.

Lyla smiled and said, "Oliver needed some information and John knew he could ask me for help with it. I hadn't seen John in a couple of years, so it was really nice to hear his voice and then meet up with him, even if it was just to get his hands on some information and not on me." Felicity turned a bright pink at Lyla's comment and Lyla continued, "That contact and a few other opportunities for John and I to meet up is exactly what led to Sara and our marriage. So if there's one thing I know for sure, I owe my family's existence to Oliver Queen and that's something that I'm never going to forget." 

Felicity said, "But I don't want Oliver to think that I'm being forced into a marriage I don't want, when it is exactly what I want."

Lyla reached over and gently squeezed Felicity's hand and said, "Hey, it doesn't matter how you get married or why you get married if you two love each other and want to be married. Let this Russian mobster think he's the reason why you are going to marry Oliver. You and Oliver will know the truth and that he merely tugged you toward marriage versus holding a shotgun to your backs." Lyla stood up and looked out the office window to where Oliver was, nervously pacing around Felicity's workstation. "I think it's time you talked to Oliver about this, Felicity. He's starting to wear a trail in the carpet by your workstation."

Felicity smiled at Lyla, stood up, gave her friend a hug and said simply, "Thank you."

Lyla hugged her back and said, "Anytime, my friend. Now, please talk to Oliver and then we need to review the information you've discovered on flash drive."

Felicity nodded her head and said, "Yes, Ma'am!"

Lyla exited the room and left the door open.

Felicity walked to the doorway and asked, "Oliver, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Oliver walked toward Felicity cautiously. She had been in the office for a long time thinking and then even longer talking with Lyla. He watched Felicity back into the office, leaving the door opened. Once inside, she motioned for him to join her on the couch. He closed the door and joined her.

Felicity reached for Oliver's hand. She intertwined her fingers with his, looked into his eyes and smiled. She said simply, "Oliver Queen, will you make me the happiest woman on Earth and marry me?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> In this Chapter, a big decision is made and a new ally is met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Seventeen

Oliver sat there in shock. This was not the question he was expecting. Why did you keep this from me, Oliver? When were you going to tell me, Oliver? How could you even think that I would agree to that, Oliver? Those were the questions that had been troubling him as he had paced outside the office while she sat inside thinking and then speaking to Lyla. Those were the questions he thought she would be asking him in her loud voice. But, marriage? That’s the question she asked? Hell yes! Wait, is she serious? Doubt began to invade his thoughts. She walked away, he thought. Then he reminded himself that she stayed. Everyone else left and she stayed. She was the one here helping him to rebuild their city. This was their home and she didn't leave. He searched her face and only saw her smiling at him. It was her smile she reserved just for him. The smile she gave him whenever he had done something that made her happy. That same smile she gave him that fateful December day when he had asked her to marry him. He knew at that moment she had meant every word she had asked him. He replied, “Yes,” then scooped her into his embrace and kissed her soundly. 

Felicity returned his kisses just as fervently. Don’t over think this, Smoak, just throw caution to the wind and love this man like you know you do. Just go with this because you know you want this, she thought. She wrapped her arms around him to deepen the kiss, when she felt him start to slide away from their embrace.

As he pulled away from her breaking the passionate kiss they had just shared, Felicity groaned in disappointment, making Oliver chuckle. He said softly, "We have an audience, Baby."

Felicity opened her eyes and looked out the office window to see several pairs of eyes quickly look away from where she and Oliver were and focus back on their workstation computer screens. She smiled back at him, shrugged her shoulders and said, "It's not like they've never seen that before."

Oliver laughed a truly genuine laugh. He hugged her tight to him again and rested his chin on top of her head for a moment. He wanted to just hold her in his arms for one minute longer before he asked her the question he didn't want to ask, but knew he must to alleviate any further doubts he had in his mind. He moved her slightly away from him to gently kiss her forehead and said, "Felicity, Baby, I have to ask you something." Don't screw this up, Queen, he thought.

Felicity looked up at him. A moment of panic entered her system. He's worried I'm going to change my mind. He thinks I'm just doing this to gain the assistance of the Bratva. "Oliver..."

"No, Felicity," he said, "I need to know the truth, please. Are you doing this because you figured out it's the only to secure the full assistance of the Bratva? Because I want you to know that we do not need them. We can do this without them and you and I can take as long as you need to get us back to that point where you're ready for me to ask you that question."

Felicity sighed, moved her body into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in close to her. She replied, "I'm sure of two things, Oliver Queen. The first is that I wouldn't have asked you to marry me if I wasn't ready to live the rest of my life with you...however long that may be. You are the first person I think of each morning and the last person I think of every night."

Oliver smiled at her and asked, "and the second thing?"

Felicity smiled coyly and said, "I love you."

It was Oliver's turn to sigh. He leaned forward so that their foreheads touched. "I love you too," he replied. They sat there, allowing each other to simply enjoy that moment, when they heard a knock on their door. It was Lyla again.

She opened the door and leaned her head inside the room. "Sorry to break this up guys, but we've found something else we need to show you," she said. "We've got the intel pulled up on the screen in Command." She walked away, leaving the door open for them to follow her. 

Oliver and Felicity exited the office and followed Lyla over to the large touch screen monitor to see what new development they had uncovered. Another woman stood there pulling up information on the screen for them to see. Upon Lyla's arrival, she stood back, with her hands held behind her back.

Lyla said, "Oliver, Felicity, I would like for you to meet Agent Cecily Torres."

Agent Torres nodded her head at them and extended her hand in greeting. "Please, call me CC."

Oliver and Felicity each shook her hand while Lyla continued, "Agent Torres has a Masters in Civil Engineering from your alma mater, Felicity, and will be the primary agent assigned to you at City Hall. Her code name is Sidewinder."  
Felicity smiled at CC and asked, "What year?"

CC replied quickly, "2013. I was there on a ROTC scholarship and had plans on going to work for the Army Corp of Engineers, when my file got flagged for A.R.G.U.S recruitment. I guess being an orphan and smart made me a hot commodity in the espionage community."

Felicity and CC stood there reminiscing for a moment, while Oliver silently scrutinized Agent Torres. Felicity seems satisfied by the Agent's answers to her questions about M.I.T. and the area around Kendall Square, he thought. Why are my instincts telling me not to trust this woman, he wondered. Oliver said, "Lyla, can I speak to you for a moment?"

Lyla nodded yes and they walked a short distance away from the two ladies reminiscing about their mutual love of Friendly's ice cream sundaes and Italian ice. Lyla asked, "What's up, Oliver?"

"How well do you know Agent Torres?" he asked.

Lyla replied quickly, "I recruited her myself, Oliver, straight out of college. She fit the profile of agents Amanda was looking for and I went after her to bring her into the fold. She grew up in the foster care system, attended Starling High School, graduated from M.I.T., then came to work for me at A.R.G.U.S." Lyla could tell that Oliver still was not convinced about Agent Torres, so she asked, "What's going on, Oliver?"

Oliver tilted his head back and forth. He answered, "Does she know that I'm the Green Arrow?"

Lyla shook her head no, "The only ones who know you're the Green Arrow in this room are you, me and Felicity." 

"Has it occurred to you that the person orchestrating everything to get to Felicity could be someone from A.R.G.U.S.?" He paused for a moment as he watched Lyla shake her head no and then he continued, "Someone here could have had family pr friends who were from Havenrock." Then he added, "There were plenty of A.R.G.U.S. agents running around helping us defeat Darhk and the entire time, Felicity's identity was never hidden from any of them. Everyone who was guarding the bunker and working here in the Command Center were privy to the decision Felicity made to save Monument Point." He allowed his gaze to turn back to see Felicity talking animatedly with Agent Torres, who wore a smile that to the trained eye looked more humoring than sincere. He asked,   
"For that matter, where was Agent Torres during that time?"

Lyla tilted her head and furrowed her brow. "While her specific duties during that time are classified, I can tell you that she was out of the country dealing with a situation on behalf of A.R.G.U.S. Besides, every agent working here is loyal to me and only me, Oliver. I personally vetted everyone when I became Director. No one at A.R.G.U.S. is holding a grudge against Felicity." 

Oliver still couldn't shake his gut feeling that something was not all that it appeared with Agent Torres. He replied, "I want you to assign someone else to guard Felicity."

Lyla was losing her patience with Oliver. "Look Oliver, I understand that you seem to think that something's amiss with CC, but she is one of my top agents and right now, she's the only one with the right background who could pass through the scrutiny of a City Council Meeting or a meeting with your Public Works Department regarding the infrastructure rebuild. No one else on my team is qualified for that as well as serving as bodyguard for Felicity."

"Felicity doesn't need an A.R.G.U.S. bodyguard, she'll have the full protection of the Bratva...and me," he replied.

"Oliver, Felicity can't be with you every minute of the day even if she's working with you at City Hall and managing the Comms at night," Lyla replied. "Plus, a Bratva enforcer is more likely to draw unwanted attention versus a civil engineer from a reputable engineering firm looking to help rebuild Star City, who could also by the way, kick your ass." 

Oliver grimaced at that remark. Lyla squared her shoulders to face Oliver and said, "Speaking of which, you might want to think about dialing back your Green Arrow activities until we've figured out who's targeting Felicity and gotten rid of them." 

"No way," replied Oliver adamantly. "I'm the best weapon you have right now. There is no way I'm going to sit out of this fight if someone is after Felicity."

"And how do you think it will look if you have to sneak off every time we come up with a new lead, track down evidence or need to interrogate someone, hmm?" Lyla asked. "You need to think about your ability to maintain being the vigilante known as the Green Arrow and Mayor Oliver Queen. It was one thing when you were Playboy, Billionaire Oliver Queen and could pass off missing an early morning meeting because you were allegedly hung over or not attending some boring fundraiser because you were once again allegedly too busy clubbing to pay attention. Welcome to the world of Grown-ups, Oliver Queen. You've got a whole slew of responsibilities that don't include needing the ability to wield a bow and arrow."

Oliver took a step back, reeling from the verbal smackdown Lyla had effectively delivered. Even now, with everything that had happened earlier, he knew he was supposed to have met with Mark and Mavis earlier today to go over the campaign's weekend activities which included precinct walking, posting door hangers and cutting a few ribbons to reinforce his image as Mayor Queen. They did not include tracking down a known assassin out to get the woman he loves, preparing for a visit from the Russian Mob or planning a wedding. How was he going to be able to explain this one? People were counting on him to be there first thing Saturday morning to do the Mayoral candidate thing. This was not something he could send a surrogate to, plus, the only two people he trusted to do that for him were both unavailable. Thea was off trying to figure out who she was and Felicity was the target of an international assassin. Didn't Lance say, only bad things happen in May? Why are they happening in June? 

Lyla asked a question, breaking him out of his internal monologue, "Does the Bratva know about your evening activities?"

Oliver shook his head no, "I've not told anyone else about that part of my life. The Bratva were no doubt happy that the Hood and the Arrow dealt with both the Triad and the Bertinelli families here locally. It helped pave the way for the Bratva to expand in the city. However, they are still upset that helping me with Slade Wilson is what got Alexi Leonov killed a few years ago." He looked back over where Felicity stood still talking and then said, "They may have their suspicions, but Anatoli has not asked."

Felicity walked over to where Oliver and Lyla stood. "Okay guys, CC's great and all, but I want to see what intel you've uncovered, Lyla."

They walked back to the monitor and CC pulled up the screen to show them what they had found. "As you can see, the perps got sloppy after they ditched the car and we have been able to track them to a location just outside the City limits. What are your orders, Director Michaels?"

Lyla looked at Oliver and Felicity, then said, "Have we ID'd that August Mitre is with them?"

CC shook her head no, "We've ran their faces through facial recognition and none of them have been August Mitre. The four men are known mercenaries based out of Corto Maltese."

Lyla replied, "Send a task force to extract the targets and bring them in for questioning."

Agent Torres moved to walk away from the them when Lyla stopped her for a moment, "One more thing, Agent Torres..."

"Yes, Director?" CC replied.

"I do not want you going out with the squad. Please send Agent Flagg with them. I want you here, monitoring the situation from Command. The last thing I need is having your identity compromised before you've been established at City Hall." Lyla discreetly looked at Oliver and gave him a head nod.

Oliver nodded back to Lyla and noticed the subtle, but well hid angry reaction Agent Torres displayed. While Lyla left to go and check on Sara, Oliver walked over to Felicity and asked, "So what did you think of Agent Torres?"

Felicity smiled at him. "She's done her homework about the City's infrastructure and definitely should be able to go toe-to-toe with the engineers in Public Works, so in that regard, I'm not worried." She paused for a moment and asked, "Why do you ask? Do you think she's not going to be able to adequately protect me when you aren't around?"

Oliver tilted his head a bit to the right and said, "Well..."

Felicity shook her head no and replied, "Look, Oliver. Lyla would not assign just any old or in this case, young, agent to protect me. She knows that John wouldn't stand for that." Felicity wrapped her arms around Oliver's waist to distract him from his brooding thoughts and said, "Besides, I was kind of thinking that we might want to hop on a plane tonight to Vegas and get married. There's this cute little chapel down the street from the Bellagio that uses real flowers in all of their ceremonies and their officiant happens to be Jewish too."

Oliver looked down at her questioningly. Did she want to get married tonight? What about her Mom, Thea, John, and Lyla? "Don't you want to plan a big wedding with your Mom?"

Felicity frowned. "Haven't we already gone down that path, Oliver? Our marriage is for us to enjoy. All that matters is that we are there, saying our vows to each other and knowing that we making the ultimate promise to each other. We could call Mom and Quentin once we land and have them meet us at the chapel so they can be our witnesses." Felicity smiled up at him.

Oliver kissed her nose and asked, "What about the marriage license?"

"Oh, that," Felicity replied. "I... well, I happen to still have the one we applied for originally. It arrived in the mail a few weeks before everything happened and...um, I...I couldn't get rid of it, so I kept it." Felicity looked down at her toes, not wanting Oliver to see the tears starting to pool in her eyes.

Felicity sniffled and Oliver placed his hand under her chin to gently lift up her head. Then he kissed her softly on the lips and said, "I'll call Mark and cancel all of my appointments this weekend. I guess we're going to Vegas, Baby."

Several hours later, Oliver and Felicity were on a private plane bound for Las Vegas. Lyla made the arrangements for their flight and then set them up at an A.R.G.U.S. safe house for their overnight stay. She assured them that she would keep them posted if they learned anything from the men August Mitre hired. She had wanted them to take along a few of her A.R.G.U.S. agents with them, but Oliver refused. They would be fine and he knew a few people there who could be of assistance if necessary. 

The quick flight had them landing a few hours after departing Star City. Once on the ground, they went straight to the safe house to change and Felicity called her Mom, giving her the address she wanted Quentin and Donna to meet them at in an hour. Donna knew immediately from the address, where Felicity and Oliver were headed. Felicity's ear was still ringing from the high-pitched squeal, Donna had emitted after recognizing the address. 

Once they were at the little chapel, Felicity and Oliver entered to find Donna and Quentin standing there. Donna ran to them both and enveloped them as huge a hug as her tiny little arms could muster. She was beaming with happiness at the two of them. Quentin Lance, on the other hand, looked skeptically at Oliver. When Donna pulled Felicity aside, Lance said simply, "You better not screw this one up, Queen."

Oliver replied confidently, "I have no intention of doing that."

Quentin replied sadly, "You never do."

Oliver frowned. He thought that he and Quentin had finally come to a better understanding of each other. "Look, Detective..."

"It's just Quentin these days, Son," Quentin replied. He saw the disappointed look on Oliver's face and said, "Hey, I know you don't intend to hurt Felicity, but you have and if your track record proves nothing else, you will...eventually."

"I love her and she loves me. There is nothing in this world that can keep us apart," Oliver replied determinedly.

Quentin looked at the younger man and saw the conviction he had on his face. He sighed resignedly, "You just make sure she's happy," and he held out his hand for Oliver to shake.

Oliver clasped the older gentleman's hand, nodded his head and said, "Until my dying day."

Quentin nodded his head and release Oliver's hand as Donna and Felicity joined them. 

Donna couldn't stop talking in a fast, high-pitched voice. She had already spoken to the Rabbi and had him ready to perform a Jewish wedding ceremony for the happy couple. Throughout it all, Oliver never took his eyes off of Felicity. He kept searching her face to see if she was having any second thoughts or regrets. To his utter delight, he saw no sign of them. All he saw was his beautiful Felicity with that radiant smile never wavering. That same smile he knew she only smiled when she was truly happy. 

The ceremony itself was short and sweet. They had opted for the traditional vows instead of using their own. They had said their own vows in their fake-out wedding used to trap Cupid, and while he had meant every word of them, Oliver didn't want those same words to bring up any bad memories for Felicity of that ruse. 

When it came time for the rings, Felicity produced the simple platinum band she had been holding onto for months. She had it engraved and showed the engraving to Oliver, before she handed it to the Rabbi for the blessing.

Oliver looked inside the band and saw the words on the inside of the band. It said, "You are My Always." A tear escaped from Oliver's eye. Felicity reached up to wipe it away with her hand as he smiled down at her. He handed the ring to the Rabbi and then he reached into his pocket and pulled out two rings. They were both made of platinum. The first held a beautiful emerald-cut, deep green emerald flanked by two baguette-cut diamonds. The second was a platinum band with alternating channel-set emeralds and diamonds. Felicity gasped when she saw them. Oliver showed her the engraving on the wedding band. It said simply, "It was red." 

Felicity sighed and it was her turn to let a tear drop slide down her face. 

Oliver reached to wipe it away and then he handed the rings to the Rabbi to continue the blessing and the ceremony.

When the Rabbi declared them Man and Wife, he placed the glass wrapped in a white linen napkin on the floor and Oliver smashed it with his foot. Donna hopped out of her chair and wrapped her arms around them one more time. Quentin kissed Felicity's cheek, shook Oliver's hand and said, "Good luck, kid." Oliver nodded his head at Quentin, turned to Felicity to give her a quick kiss as she smiled up at him, then escorted her out of the chapel. The four of them headed over to Cesar's Palace to have a lovely dinner and celebrate. After their fabulous meal and a bottle of champagne for the happy couple, Quentin and Donna said their good-byes to Oliver and Felicity. 

Felicity looked up at Oliver after her Mom and Quentin left and said, "So I guess tonight's our wedding night, Mr. Queen?"

Oliver smiled down at her, kissed her on her cheek, then replied with a whisper in her ear, "And I plan on worshiping you all night, Mrs. Queen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm getting ready to head out for a bit of a vacation and will be unable to update until I return home.   
> I don't think I'll be able to update until the end of July.   
> I know we've got sexy time coming up and I have to warn you all that I'm having a bit of performance anxiety here...Ugh! :-)
> 
> I hope the next chapter is worth the wait... :-)


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> This chapter immediately follows their trip to Vegas and tells what happens upon their return to Star City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”
> 
> Apologies for the long delay in a new chapter. We had a bit of a vacation, then I got ill, but am now much better. :-)
> 
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Eighteen

As Oliver slowly moved his mouth to drop a kiss on Felicity's lips, the white hot light of a camera flash going off in rapid succession next to them had Oliver pushing Felicity behind him. They had been standing in the Car Valet line when one of the local paparazzi must have recognized them and started taking pictures. Oliver held up his hand to wave over the Casino's security, when their town car arrived. He opened the backseat door, Felicity stepped inside and he quickly followed. Once they had their seatbelts on, the driver quickly headed back to the safe house.

"I guess we'll be on the front page of the tabloids first thing in the morning," sighed Felicity. She squeezed Oliver's hand and turned her head to face him.

Oliver looked her in the eyes and said, "Hey, this is our wedding night, remember. Let's worry about tomorrow when it gets here." He raised her hand up to his lips and kissed the inside of her wrist.

Felicity leaned into him and nuzzled her nose against his, "Tomorrow, then. We'll worry about it tomorrow." She kissed him, letting her lips linger on his, savoring the moment.

The A.R.G.U.S. driver gave them a discreet cough and announced that they had arrived. 

Oliver opened his door and helped Felicity out and into the house. They made their way up to their bedroom and Oliver quietly shut the door. Why am I so nervous, he thought. He smiled at Felicity looking for her to give him courage. The moment she smiled back at him, he knew they were going to be okay. He walked toward her and wrapped his arms around her. Melding his body to hers, allowing himself to take a moment, not to reminisce about what they had, but to embrace what their future held for them...to know that their lives from this moment forward would be forever entertwined and he was going to do everything possible to keep the woman he loved safe and happy. He gently lifted her up and carried Felicity to their bed. Neither of them saying a word, letting their eyes and bodies effectively communicate to each other their needs. Felicity let out a soft moan as Oliver slowly eased her out of her clothing. He had already shed his shoes and jacket, now it was Felicity's turn to help him remove the remaining cloth barriers between them. She knew there was no need to rush themselves. Tonight was all about them and them, alone. They each took their time with one another, making sure their needs were met, individually and as a couple. 

The next morning, Oliver woke up with a start, still reeling from the euphoria that had been his first night with Felicity as his wife. She had snuggled in close to him and he smiled as he looked down at the serene scene she presented to him so early in the morning. He gently moved out of bed, being careful not to wake her up. He knew he needed to alert Anatoli, Thea and Mark about the change in their relationship status. Oliver reached for his phone on the nightstand. He had several missed phone calls and text messages already from Mark and Mavis, both. After scanning the text messages, he knew that TMZ had broken the story of Oliver and Felicity's wedding and the photographer who had snapped a picture of them while they were waiting in the valet line had managed to get a picture of Felicity's ring finger. Oliver pulled up his news feed and for a change, the tabloids were calling him the gold digger and comparing them to something called "The Philadelphia Story." Oliver wasn't sure what that meant, but he knew it was probably something that was going to make Felicity use her loud voice. He sent a quick text to Thea first to let her know that he and Felicity had flown to Vegas and gotten married on the spur of the moment. He apologized for not telling her, but let Thea know that he hadn't wanted to give Felicity the opportunity to talk herself out of it. 

Thea replied quickly with a simple text stating "It's about time! Love you guys!" 

Oliver smiled down at his sister's message. Then he quickly sent a message to both Mark and Mavis, confirming that he and Felicity had indeed flown to Vegas and were now husband and wife. He let them know that they would be returning to Star City later in the day and they would meet with them first thing in the morning on Monday. Oliver frowned down at his phone. He knew he wasn't ready to head home yet. He wanted to spend a few more days isolated with Felicity away from the troubles of Star City, even though they had ten specially assigned A.R.G.U.S. agents guarding them as a reminder of the danger surrounding them. Oliver sighed, pulled out a pair of sweats he had brought with them and stepped outside of the room to make a phone call. Anatoli would not want to hear the news of his marriage via text message. As it was, he would have to make amends for eloping instead of having a proper Bratva wedding with all of the pomp and circumstance a Captain's wedding should contain. Oliver headed downstairs and requested the use of a secure line. An agent showed him into a small room lined with bookshelves, an old wooden desk with chair was closest to the lone window in the room. Oliver sat down in the chair, lifted up the receiver and placed the call he knew he had to make. Once Anatoli was on the line, Oliver let him know about his marriage to Felicity. He also let him know that they would be back in Star City that evening.  
Anatoli replied, "Oliver, felicitations on your marriage. I look forward to watching your children grow up and continue their father's glorious legacy."

Oliver pursed his lips and asked, "Anatoli, I'm sure once the mayoral election is over, I will be able to take a week or two to fly with Felicity to Russia for a proper Bratva celebration."

Anatoli laughed heartily, "Oh, no my friend. There is no need to consider doing that."

Oliver gripped the phone tighter in his hand, not allowing his voice to betray his anxiousness said, "It is no trouble, Pakhan. It would be an honor to visit you."

"No, Oliver," Anatoli replied. "You do not understand. There is no need for the formality of bringing your new bride to Russia. I've already met her and approve of your choice of wife."

Oliver still held tightly to the phone, unable to relax. He knew Anatoli was up to something. He replied, "Thank you for your confidence in my choice of bride, Sir. Your approval will no doubt allay any concerns over my decision not to marry a Bratva woman."

Anatoli laughed again. "Oh don't worry, there will be plenty of people upset that you chose an American over one of our own. However, my approval will force them to keep their opinions to themselves, or they will incur my unhappiness." Anatoli paused for a moment and then added, "Besides, I will be there in Star City by the end of the week. We will celebrate you and your Felicity's marriage together."

Oliver froze for a moment. Who the hell is after Felicity that is prompting Anatoli to make the trip to America, he wondered. Where is John Diggle when I need him most to talk about this, he thought. Oliver replied the only way he could, "You honor us with your presence, Pakhan. However, my home is not currently up to your level of expectation." Hopefully, this will dissuade him from coming, Oliver thought.

"You have nothing to worry about, Oliver," Anatoli replied. "I have already made arrangements for my wedding present to be ready for you by the time of my arrival."

Wedding present? Oliver thought, what could he mean by that?

Anatoli continued, "I will have everything sent to your office tomorrow. I look forward to seeing you on Friday, Oliver." 

Then the lone click of the line disconnecting was the only noise Oliver heard. He sat back in the chair after placing the phone back on the receiver. He rubbed his hands over his face and the top of his head before standing up and turning around to look out the window. The house they were in had a large yard and fifteen foot security fence all around the perimeter of the lot. He could see the guards patrolling along the fence line. He noticed the thick, bullet-proof glass in the window and took a closer look at the walls of the room. They were much thicker than an ordinary house's walls. He shook his head in disgust. These precautions were necessary to protect Felicity, who was only in danger because she had become involved in his mission to save Star City. The need for all of this was his fault. He made his way out of the room and asked the agent to please alert Director Michaels that they would be returning to Star City as soon as possible. Then Oliver walked back up the stairs to let Felicity know what happened. 

They were back in Star City slightly before 5 p.m. that same day. As the plane taxied over to the A.R.G.U.S. hanger, Felicity noticed that Lyla was their waiting for them.

"Oliver, Felicity, congratulations," Lyla told them in a serious and clipped tone.

Oliver knew she wasn't there just to congratulate them. Sometimes, she reminded him too much of her former mentor, Amanda Waller. "What's happened, Lyla?" Oliver asked as he tightened his arm around Felicity's waist and pulled her in closer to him.

Lyla looked at Felicity and said, "There has been a security breach at the loft, Felicity."

Felicity looked at Lyla incredulously, and replied, "How do you know?"

Lyla frowned, "I had sent a team over as building maintenance to upgrade your security system with A.R.G.U.S. tech and Agent Torres alerted me that someone had broken into the loft while you were gone. There were small electronics taken to make it look like a robbery to police, but it was apparent that whomever it was had done it to send you a message, Felicity."

"Did they leave something behind, Lyla?" Oliver asked through his clenched jaw.

"Well, besides leaving most of Felicity's personal effects in ruin, there was a card left attached to a framed picture of you two from your travels last year," Lyla answered.

Felicity asked softly, "What did the card say?"

Lyla looked at Oliver first, who nodded his head, then she turned to look Felicity in the eyes and said, "It said, 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one'. Then behind the card on the photo was a blue bulls-eye drawn covering Oliver's face with a red arrow puncturing between his eyes."

Felicity gasped, then let out a horrific chuckle, "Well, at least I know my stalker has a Star Trek fetish."

Oliver and Lyla both gave Felicity a quizzical look. 

"She means, that the stalker's message was quoting Mr. Spock from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan," supplied Agent Torres as she joined the group. "We've already analyzed the ink, paper, and handwriting from the note and come up empty. The ink was from a generic ink pen and the paper could both be purchased at any office supply store, supermarket or big box store. The handwriting was masculine and precise in style, almost as if the person spent a lot of time writing or drawing."

"So I take it that there were no fingerprints or anything else found that could help us with identifying whoever this crazy person is that's after my wife?" Oliver asked, the anger and concern dripping from his voice.

"This guy's a pro, Oliver. It's almost as if he's one step ahead of us at every turn," Lyla answered. Then she took a deep breath and added, "The loft has been compromised, Felicity. I've had my team salvage what items they could out of your place and sent them to Ostrander Suite at the Starling Hotel."

"I want to go home, Oliver," Felicity replied in a quiet voice.

Oliver looked down at her and said softly, "Baby, our home is not safe right now." He wrapped both arms around her and held it tightly. "We need to stay where Lyla recommends and tomorrow, we'll see what other options there may be for us, okay?" Oliver rocked her slowly in his arms. How am I going to fix this, he wondered. I'll have to check with my real estate agent to see if I've won the bid for the apartment across the street from the loft, he thought.

Felicity nodded her head in agreement. It had been a long few days and she was exhausted. She knew in her mind that there was really no alternative now. The stalker not only had her in his sightline, but now Oliver was also a target. Come on Smoak, she thought, it's not like this is the first time some villain has come after her or Oliver. "Fine, let's get going then," she answered. They bundled into the A.R.G.U.S. SUV and moved into the Starling Hotel.

Neither Oliver or Felicity returned any of the voicemails or text messages that had clogged up their phone for the past few days. Instead, under the safety and security of Lyla's team of operatives, they settled into their hotel suite for the night. Felicity quickly assessed the few remaining clothes she had left. Lyla, ever efficient, had herself gone to the bunker and picked up some of Oliver's belongings herself and had them delivered to their suite as well. 

As they laid in bed, Oliver finally let Felicity know about the text messages he had exchanged with Thea, Mark and Mavis.

"Does this mean that we're going to have to hold a press conference announcing our marriage?" she asked him.

Oliver pulled her into his side as they lay there on the bed, dropping a kiss on the top of her head and replied, "Yes, babe, there's no getting around that." He slowly stroked the delicate skin of her bare back, marveling at it's softness. He sighed and continued,   
"There's a City Council meeting coming up and you know that the press will be there wanting to know details. If we hold a small press conference in the press briefing room at City Hall, we'll be in a secure location and I won't worry...as much about your safety."

Felicity pushed herself up on the bed, looked him in the eyes and said, "You're just as much a target as I am, Oliver. Don't you think we should do something on a slightly grander scale to try and flush the stalker out into the open and deal with him as soon as possible?"

"I am not going to risk your life like that, Felicity," Oliver replied. "Your safety is more important, than mine."

"Whoa, there buddy!" Felicity said, her voice starting to rise. "Your safety is just as important to me, Oliver. We're a team and we're going to tackle this as a team. Do YOU understand?"

"Felicity..."

"No, Oliver! You tell me you understand this simple fact right now!" Felicity said using her loud voice.

Oliver pursed his lips tightly, nodded his head yes and mumbled through his closed mouth, "Um-hmm."

Felicity nodded her head with him in agreement and said, "Now that we have THAT straightened out, when were you going to tell me about your conversation with Anatoli?"

Oliver looked at Felicity with surprise. "How did you..."

"Oh, please, Oliver," Felicity replied with a slight tilt of her head. "Do you really think that I wouldn't think you had informed Anatoli about our change in relationship status? I mean, I know I haven't had a chance to update my Facebook page and since I know that you don't have a Facebook page to update, unless you're still using that old My Space page of yours..."

Oliver wrapped his arms around Felicity and quickly maneuvered her onto her back, hovering his body over hers on the bed, "And so my Dear, once you get a moment to update your Facebook relationship status, will you also be updating your name on your Profile as well?" Oliver teased and smiled down at her.

"Well," she replied, "I was thinking to hyphen or not to hypen or whether or not it made sense for me to just stick with my maiden name..."

Oliver took that moment to lean down and start dropping gently kisses along her most sensitive area of her neck, slowing making his way up to her ear. "And what have you decided?" he asked, not pausing as he started to gently suck on her delicate skin.

"I...I've...uh...decided...to change...um...my name...to," Felicity moaned softly, encouraging him to continue his gentle actions along her neck. "I...um...oh God, Oliver...don't stop that...please..." she pleaded.

Oliver smiled and whispered in her ear, "What's your name, my love?" then he continued tormenting her with his constant gentle sucking along the nape of her neck.

"Felicity..Smoak...Queen..." she exhaled and then turned her head to capture his mouth with hers.

Oliver pulled away from her, smiled and said, "Felicity Smoak Queen, eh? No hypen?"

Felicity smiled up at him and said, "No hyphen."

"As you wish..." was his only reply as they settled into their bed, ready to make the most of their second night of marriage.

The next morning as they were finishing getting ready to start their day and formally announce to Star City that they were now husband and wife, Felicity turned to Oliver and asked, "So what did Anatoli say?"

Oliver stopped buttoning his shirt, turned to her and said, "I thought you might have forgotten about that."

Felicity chuckled, "Not likely, considering we're going to need his help with this whole stalker thing."

Oliver continued buttoning his shirt, grabbed his tie and held it out to her for her assistance.

Felicity smiled at him grabbed the tie and helped him with it. As her nimble fingers tightened the tie around his neck he answered her, "Anatoli mentioned that he would have our wedding present delivered this morning to the office and that he would be here on Friday to celebrate our marriage."

Felicity hesitated for a moment, then straightened the top knot between the collar of his shirt. "Any idea what his plans may be while he's here?"

Oliver shook his head no and replied, "I think he's coming to bring me back into the fold and secondly, make sure that you are safe."

"What do you mean 'bring you back into the fold'? Surely, he doesn't think you could become a Bratva captain again, does he?"

Oliver took in deep breath and exhaled. He did not want to have this conversations with Felicity, but knew he needed to before Anatoli arrived. "Babe, being a Captain is not something that I could walk away from. Anatoli gave me time away from my duties to help right the wrongs my Father did to Star City. Now that I am Mayor, I'm sure he believes that my mission has been accomplished and can now resume my Bratva duties. Plus, having me in office and a Captain would surely be a great benefit to the Bratva as it strengthens it's foothold here in America."

"But your work, our work is not done yet, Oliver. We have a city to rebuild," Felicity placed both her hands on his chest, closed her eyes and asked quietly, "Does he know that you are the Green Arrow?"

Oliver shook his head no, but added, "I don't think so. He's not come out and asked, but he knows what I'm capable of, so he may suspect it."

"I guess, we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it," Felicity replied.

They quickly finished getting ready and then headed over to City Hall. Agent Torres drove them herself and parked in the underground parking lot below City Hall so that they could enter as discreetly as possible. Once they were in the Mayor's office, Mrs. Sanchez quickly glanced down at both of their ring fingers before exclaiming, "Congratulations!" She quickly gave them both a hug. Then JJ stepped from behind his desk and gave Felicity a hug, then shook Oliver's hand in congratulations. Felicity introduced them both to Cecilia Torres as the private consultant the City was able to hire to assist the Public Works Department with the infrastructure rebuild. She asked JJ to please set up an office space for Cecilia in the office that adjoined hers.

JJ and Mrs. Sanchez smiled at Cecilia and welcomed her to the team. Mrs. Sanchez turned to Oliver and said, "Mr. Mayor, Ms. Temple and Mr. Francis are waiting for you in your office. They asked me reserve the Press Briefing Room at 10 a.m. today."

"Thank you, Mrs. Sanchez," Oliver replied. He turned to Felicity and said, "We should go meet with them to prepare for 10 a.m."

Felicity nodded her head, turned to Cecilia and said, "We'll be in this meeting most of the morning, I'll have JJ send you copies of all of our files regarding the infrastructure rebuild and then we'll go ahead an meet with the Public Works Team this afternoon."

Cecilia nodded her head and replied, "Of course, Ma'am," then she added, "Please let me know if you will be leaving this office area."

Felicity nodded her head and then followed Oliver into his office. Mavis and Mark were huddled together, then looked up at the two of them as they entered. Mark stood up first, shook both of their hands and said, "Wow! We were not expecting this guys! I can let you know that a happily, married candidate plays much better with the constituents than a reformed playboy. Congratulations, Oliver and Felicity!"

Mavis smiled and merely replied, "Congratulations you two. Now if we could please sit down and prepare you both for the impending press conference..."

Oliver ignored Mavis after he noticed the manila envelope on his desk. He walked to his desk and opened the large envelope. He pulled out the papers and motioned for Felicity to join him. When she read the documents, she shook the envelope and heard a rattle. She looked up at Oliver and he simply shrugged his shoulders.

Mark and Mavis looked at each other, then turned their attention back to the newlyweds. "Okay, guys," Mark interrupted, "Are you going to share with us what is contained in this mystery envelope?"

Oliver dumped the contents of the envelope out onto his desk. A series of keys fell out onto the desk and Felicity continued to review the paperwork she held in her hands. Oliver replied, "Besides our recent wedding, we will be happy to announce that my beautiful wife purchased a new home for us."

Mavis smiled and replied, looking directly at Felicity, "Excellent! Deputy Mayor Smoak, is it large enough for us to hold a Campaign fundraiser?"

Felicity looked up at Oliver, still in disbelief. "Oliver would know better than I, Ms. Temple," she replied.

Oliver put forth his best Ollie Queen smile and said simply, "My wife is now the proud owner of the former Merlyn Estate, known locally as 'Avalon'."


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> They are back at work at City Hall and stuff happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Nineteen

Once they were done meeting with Mark and Mavis, it was time to head down to the briefing room to face the local media. Once they entered the room together, flashes were going off incessantly, blinding Felicity. She instinctively held tighter to Oliver's hand and grabbed his arm with her other hand, effectively pulling herself closer to his side. 

Oliver looked down at her and smiled. "We can get through this," he whispered to her. "We know exactly how to respond to the press. Keep it short and sweet, just like Mavis instructed, and it will all be over soon." Oliver gave her a reassuring forehead kiss and stepped right up to the podium, Felicity standing just to his right. "Good morning, everyone," he began. "Thank you for coming on such short notice." He took a look back at Felicity, who gave him an encouraging smile and he continued, "I am delighted to announce that this weekend, Felicity Smoak and I were married while on a trip to visit her family in Las Vegas, Nevada. We know that our work is not done yet rebuilding Star City, so we will forego our honeymoon at this time, to concentrate on getting the City declared a disaster area by the Federal Government and to focus on expediting the construction of the City's decimated public works infrastructure." Oliver looked back at Felicity and motioned for her to join him at the podium. Once she was standing next to him, he added, "Thank you to everyone for your well wishes and congratulatory notes we have received. We look forward to making Star City great again! Thank you!" Oliver leaned down and gave Felicity a quick kiss on the lips and she leaned in closer to him. 

As they walked away from the podium, reporters began shouting questions at them. 

"Felicity, are you pregnant?"

"Oliver, did you marry her for her money?"

"Felicity, are Carter Bowen and the Green Arrow heartbroken?"

"How did you break the news to them?"

"Oliver, did you have to sign a pre-nup?"

"Felicity, will you be changing your name?" 

Felicity did her best not to show any reaction to those questions that troubled her the most. Just smile, hold Oliver's hand and keep on walking, she told herself.

Mavis stepped in and announced from the podium, that any further information would be released from the Mayor's Campaign Office, including a press release detailing the specifics of the ceremony, what the bride wore and where the happy couple will be residing in Star City.

Felicity hated the questions asked, especially the one if he married her for her money. That was really rich, no pun intended, she thought. Not so long ago, the tabloids wondered about her being Oliver's Executive Assistant and if she was after the Queen fortune. She and Oliver continued to make their way back to their office suite. 

Once finally back in Oliver's office, Felicity closed the door and walked over to Oliver as he sat down on the couch in his office. As Felicity sat down next to him she asked, "So we're the proud owners of Malcolm Merlyn's former estate?"

Oliver chuckled, "No love, YOU are the proud owner of Malcolm Merlyn's former estate. Anatoli listed only you on the deed, my dear, and from the paperwork, it would appear that you purchased it yourself sometime this weekend." He wrapped his arm around her and continued, "The reason the house is in your name is in case anything were to ever happen to me..."

Felicity gasped at his statement, "What do you mean ever happen to you?"

"In case anything were to happen to me," Oliver said evenly as he reached to pull her in closer to him on the couch, "the house would be sold to the next Captain and the money from the sale would be your insurance policy to take care of you after my demise."

"Anatoli can keep the house, Oliver. I don't want anything to happen to you!" Felicity replied.

"Baby, this is something the Bratva does to take care of its own. As my wife, you are now Bratva. We must accept this gift graciously and thank Anatoli for his generosity." Oliver reached for Felicity's hand, gently rubbed his thumb in a circle on the back of it and said, "Anatoli coming to Star City this weekend is a huge deal, Babe. We will be expected to not only entertain him, but to protect him while he is visiting my territory."

Felicity gave Oliver a side-eye glance and asked, "And how exactly are we going to be able to protect him? Team Arrow isn't exactly bursting at the seams right now with members."

"Anatoli will bring his own security detachment," Oliver responded, "and I will meet with what is left of Alexi Leonov's men. They know what an honor it is for the local Brotherhood to have the Pakhan on American soil and in their territory." Oliver brought her hand up to his lips and softly kissed each knuckle. "Trust me, they will not let anything happen to Anatoli while in Star City."

Felicity huffed, unconvinced that all will go as smoothly as Oliver seemed to think it would. She realized, however, that regarding the Bratva, she knew next to nothing about them and their ways or traditions. She could only rely on what little information Oliver was willing to share, plus her gut instinct on how she handled the Bratva and right now, her gut was telling her to tread cautiously. She wasn't concerned about Anatoli, yet. She was more concerned about the local Bratva that Oliver had already antagonized by getting their leader killed. Now that he was possibly going to reclaim his Bratva title, what was that going to mean for him, for us, she thought.

"Is there anything else I'm going to be expected to do as a proper Bratva wife?" she asked.

"Well," Oliver started, "As a proper Bratva wife, it is your job to make sure your husband is completely satisfied and prepared to be a good leader." Oliver held her closer to him and whispered in her ear, "And you're supposed to bear my children to make the family stronger by using them to build alliances."

Felicity pushed him away from her and asked with concern, "Are you trying to tell me that our children are all going to have arranged marriages?!"

"Babe, don't worry about it. Our children will marry for love, just like we did, okay?" Oliver answered.

Felicity not completely reassured asked, "Do you promise?"

Oliver sighed, "Yes, my love, I will do everything in my power to allow our children to marry for love." I just hope that's a promise I will be able to keep when the time comes, he thought to himself as he smiled at her.

Felicity smiled, moved back into his embrace and said, "So, when do we get to check out our new home? I hope Malcolm didn't leave any booby traps in the house or land mines in the front or back yard."

Oliver knew of the secret room Malcolm stored all of his Dark Archer equipment in just off of the garage, but wasn't aware of any other secret rooms, entrances or traps. They were going to have to inspect the house to verify their safety, although he couldn't imagine Anatoli not taking that precaution prior to purchasing the property. "I'm sure everything will be fine, Felicity," he said more to allay his concerns than her own. Then he added, "but we'll go ahead and do a sweep before moving in this week. I need to make preparations for Anatoli's arrival."

A knock on Oliver's office door caused them both to stand up. Mrs. Sanchez walked in and said, "Mr. Mayor your 11 a.m. appointment is here."

Oliver replied, "Thank you, Mrs. Sanchez. Mrs. Queen and I were just finishing up our morning meeting."

Mrs. Sanchez smiled at them and winked at Felicity before closing the door.

Felicity looked up at Oliver, wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "Say it again, Mr. Queen."

Oliver wrapped his arms around his wife's waist pulling her closer to him and complied, "Mrs. Queen..." Then he leaned down and kissed his beautiful wife passionately on the lips, Felicity returned the kiss with equal fervor. Then Oliver pulled away reluctantly, dropped a quick kiss on Felicity's nose and said, "Okay, Mrs. Queen, we'll continue this tonight at home."

Felicity gave him a saucy look and said, "As you wish..." Then she quickly escaped out of Oliver's office and headed to her own.

Waiting in her office was Agent Torres. "Deputy Mayor Smoak..." Agent Torres started.

"Um, it's actually going to be Queen, CC," Felicity clarified as she shut her office door. "I'm going to take Oliver's name and will be Deputy Mayor Queen."

Agent Torres smiled, nodded her head in understanding and continued, "Deputy Mayor Queen, I've reviewed the documents you have provided and shared them with Director Michaels."

Felicity nodded her head at the agent and said, "Please continue."

"Director Michaels wants me to let you know that the Disaster Declaration you have asked FEMA to approve has been granted and will be announced later this evening."

Felicity clapped her hand together and said, "That's fantastic! Do you know how soon the additional funding for the infrastructure rebuild will coming?"

Agent Torres shook her head, "I'm sorry, that will still take at least a week for the amount to be decided upon and when it will arrive. The important thing is though, that with the disaster declaration, FEMA will bring in portable shelters and provisions that will   
immediately help the citizens affected by the devastation."

Felicity stopped at Agent Torres' use of the word 'devastation'. That's exactly how she had been feeling ever since Havenrock. Those unfortunate people who had lived there, their families devastated by their loss. What could FEMA do to help them? What could she do to help them? Felicity could feel her eyes began to get watery with unshed tears. She walked over to her office window and looked outside at the make-shift memorial the residents of Star City had erected. She wondered if a memorial existed around the perimeter of the blast radius that destroyed Havenrock.

"Mrs. Queen? Mrs. Queen? Felicity?" Agent Torres asked, trying to get her attention.

"I'm sorry CC, what were you saying?" Felicity asked as she discreetly dabbed a tissue to her eyes.

"We will be able to report to the City Council tomorrow about the disaster declaration and you can announce that as part of the declaration, I have been assigned to assist the Public Works Department with maneuvering through the Federal grant system to access any additional funding to complete the infrastructure rebuild."

Felicity nodded her head yes in agreement and said, "Yes, yes...that sounds like a plan, CC." Felicity looked down at her computer screen and noticed that it was already Noon. She picked up her phone and asked JJ to step into her office. Once JJ had entered, she asked him to please order sandwiches and salads for them for lunch. She wanted to make sure that they were prepared for the City Council meeting the next day.

The rest of the afternoon, Felicity and CC spent huddled in her office, preparing for the City Council meeting. They had invited the various heads of the Public Works Department to meet with them, introduce them to CC and let them know about the Disaster   
Declaration. At first the Public Works employees were a little unsure of what CC's role was there to assist them, but CC did an amazing job reassuring them that she was merely on temporary loan from the Army Corp of Engineers to Star City to help fast-track   
any governmental aid they might need to rebuild their decimated infrastructure. By the end of the day, Felicity felt confident that she would be prepared to update the City Council on the infrastructure rebuild project. She was just about to call Oliver to see if he was done for the day when she looked up and noticed him standing in her doorway. He looked tired, almost as tired as she felt. She smiled at him and asked, "Are you ready to head home, Mr. Mayor?"

Oliver smiled at her and said, "Only if you're ready Deputy Mayor Queen."

Felicity looked at CC and asked, "Will you be escorting us back to the Starling Hotel?"

Agent Torres nodded her head, spoke into her comm to alert A.R.G.U.S. that they would need transportation from City Hall. Agent Torres nodded her head and said, "Copy that. Sidewinder out" She looked at the two of them and said, "Director Michaels asks that we head to HQ for a debriefing on what was discovered today."

Oliver replied, "Let's talk once we're in the vehicle."

Oliver, Felicity, and Agent Torres, said goodnight to Mrs. Sanchez and JJ, before heading down to their waiting transportation. Once they arrived at A.R.G.U.S. headquarters, they headed straight to Command to meet with Lyla.

Felicity saw the look of concern on Lyla's face and asked, "What happened?"

Lyla frowned. "SCPD just pulled four bodies out of Star City Harbor this afternoon. Their throats had been cut and it appears that they died sometime Sunday and then were dumped into the harbor."

Felicity jumped onto the computer closest to her to access the SCPD server. "The four men are the same four mercenaries that were working with August Mitre last week." Felicity swiveled around to face Lyla, Oliver and CC. "I think Mr. Mitre is tying up loose ends."

Oliver frowned, "You mean whoever paying him is." 

Lyla agreed with Oliver, "I don't think Mitre is cleaning up loose ends," she said. "I think whoever hired Mitre is the one trying to shrink the potential witness pool." Lyla walked over to Felicity and then looked at the group. "If we can find Mitre, we might be able to get him to roll-over on whoever he's working with." Lyla looked at CC and added, "Plus, he would be a valuable acquisition for Task Force X."

CC smiled and nodded her head in agreement, giving no further response. 

Oliver gave Lyla a disgusted smile and said matter-of-factly, "That's very Amanda Waller of you, Lyla. Now I know how John must have felt when he learned that Waller thought of Deadshot in the same way."

Lyla's gaze turned icy and she retorted, "I've got my priorities straight, Oliver. Task Force X is an important component in the A.R.G.U.S. arsenal. An arsenal may I remind you that may be necessary to help us protect this City..."

Oliver stood in front of Lyla full on and replied, "It looks like when John left, it wasn't just my moral compass that left the building..."

"Okay, guys," Felicity interjected as she placed herself between Oliver and Lyla, hoping to get them to dial it down a notch. "Lyla...Oliver...We all agree that locating and capturing August Mitre is our best way of trying to figure out who is out to kill me, right?"  
Lyla nor Oliver appeared ready to back down.

Felicity continued, "Right?" she asked again.

Oliver was the first to reply as he took a small step back and said in a clipped tone, "Yes."

Felicity smiled at him, turned to face Lyla, who looked at Felicity and replied simply, "Yes."

Felicity smiled at both of them and said, "Good. We have all now come to the agreement that our priority is to locate August Mitre, capture him alive and bring him in for questioning, yes?"

Lyla and Oliver both said, "yes" at the same time.

Felicity nodded her head at them both and said, "I am currently running the most up-to-date facial recognition program available. If he is anywhere near a CCTV camera, we'll find him. We just need to be patient and give him an opportunity to slip up to locate him. An alert will be signaled if the software finds him and his location will be immediately be sent to each of our phones and to A.R.G.U.S. Command. He won't get away from us." She took a deep breath in, exhaled and continued, "In the meantime, I'm starving, I'm tired and I have a City Council meeting tomorrow that I need to prepare for. I'd like to head back to the hotel, get dinner and a good night's sleep before delivering the good news about FEMA finally agreeing to declare Star City a federal disaster area and what that means financially for the rebuilding of our city."

Lyla replied, "Thank you, Felicity." She turned to look at Agent Torres and ordered, "Sidewinder, please escort Mayor Queen and Deputy Mayor Queen back to the Starling Hotel and then return here for debriefing."

Agent Torres acknowledged the order, "Yes, Ma'am," then turned to Felicity and Oliver and said, "After you..."

Oliver, still unhappy with Lyla, nodded his head at her, wrapped an arm around Felicity's waist to lead her out of the room and follow Agent Torres.

Felicity stopped for a moment, turned to her friend and said, "Lyla, I know we're all under a lot of pressure right now. I know that you've recommended that I speak to someone about everything that happened a few weeks ago and...I think I'm ready for that to occur." Felicity reached out and placed her hand on Lyla's arm and added, "I think maybe, you might want to do the same too."

Lyla looked at her friend and gave her a simple nod of her head in agreement. "I'll text you the phone number to arrange the appointment with Dr. Sears. She'll meet you here at HQ or in your office if you prefer. Just let her know." Felicity smiled at her friend and Lyla continued, "I'll take your advice under consideration."

Felicity patted Lyla's arm and then let Oliver lead her out of the room, following Agent Torres to their waiting transport back to the hotel.

Once at the hotel, Agent Torres let them know that she would return at 7 a.m. to take them to City Hall the next morning. Oliver nodded his head in agreement, still upset with Lyla's interest in making Mitre a member of what John called with no affection "The Suicide Squad", while Felicity merely smiled and said, "Thank you, Agent Torres. See you in the morning." Agent Torres nodded her head at them both and left.

Once Felicity and Oliver were back in their suite, Oliver knew that Felicity was going to demand to know why he was so upset with Lyla. Oliver himself wondered where the reaction had come from as well. He knew exactly who Lyla's mentor had been and the despicable things Amanda Waller had been capable of. Wouldn't it stand to reason that Lyla, herself, would exhibit some of the same strategic thinking as Amanda had exhibited, he wondered. You might as well start the conversation first, he thought. "Felicity, we need to talk."

Felicity looked tired as she slowly removed her shoes from her weary feet. "Oliver, right now there's about to be a bubble bath calling my name and I'm hoping you'll use the time that I'm in the bath to order dinner and a bottle of impeccable red wine that we will definitely be billing to A.R.G.U.S. for us to sit down and relax with."

That's his Felicity, he thought, she definitely has her priorities straight. God, I hope our children are just like her. Oliver smiled at her, "Okay, Babe. You go take your bath and I'll get dinner ordered for us."

By the time Felicity was out of the tub and into a pair of pajama shorts and a matching camisole, Oliver had dinner situated on the suite's small dining table and the bottle of wine decanted into a carafe to allow it to breath until ready for them to enjoy. Felicity walked over to where Oliver was putting the final touches on their dinner's place-settings, wrapped her arms around his waist, laid her head on his back and asked, "Is the wine ready?"

Oliver smiled, twisted around in her arms to face her and said, "Let me pour you a glass."

Felicity smiled back at him, released him and said, "Thank you."

Oliver handed her the glass. He loved watching her enjoy her red wine. There was nothing more seductive than watching Felicity Smoak Queen enjoying a great bottle of red wine, he thought. He looked forward to enjoying her reaction as she tasted the burgundy colored liquid.

In typical Felicity fashion, she first swirled the wine in her glass, her eyes gleaming with admiration as she watched the legs of the wine drip down the inside of the crystal goblet. Next, she tipped the glass so that she could place her nose just inside the rim of it to breathe in the wine's bouquet. She closed her eyes as she let the aromas tantalize her senses. They reminded her of the warm chocolate sauce San Francisco's Ghirardelli's Square Ice Cream parlor used on their sundaes and the wonderful fresh ripe Rainier cherries she loved. She kept her eyes closed as she allowed a small amount of the wine to roll around her mouth, allowing her taste buds to truly enjoy and savor each flavor profile as it erupted onto her tongue. When ready, she swallowed the little bit of wine, then gradually opened her eyes to see a very aroused Oliver Queen, watching her. Felicity placed her glass down on the table, smiled at him, giving him her best 'come hither look' and said, "Mr. Queen, I believe we may need to forego dinner tonight."

That was all Oliver needed to hear as he swept his wife up in his arms and promptly carried her to their bedroom for the night.

The next morning, Agent Torres arrived as scheduled and took them straight to City Hall to attend the City Council meeting that morning. Felicity went straight to her office to finish the last bits of preparations needed for her update to the City Council.

Oliver knocked on her office door frame, "Felicity, are you and CC ready to head down to the Council Chambers?"

Felicity smiled at him, grabbed her tablet containing her presentation and said, "Let's go, honey." As she exited her office, she asked JJ and Mrs. Sanchez to please clear her and Oliver's schedule for this afternoon and tomorrow. They needed to go by the loft and try to figure out if anything was taken or if there was anything else worth salvaging for their new home. She looked at Agent Torres and said, "Well, CC, let's go introduce you to the City Council and give them the great news." 

Agent Torres smiled and said, "That's what I'm here for," then she followed along behind them.

Once in the City Council Chambers, Felicity noticed more television cameras in the room than normal. Oliver had headed up to the dais and sat in the Mayor's Chair to do a final review of the City Council agenda. CC directed Felicity to two seats in the front row and closest to the Emergency Exit in the room. Felicity sat there and watched as the City Council members each filed in to take their seats.

Council Member Briggs was the last to arrive, Dr. Carter Bowen following closely at his heels. The Councilman ignored Felicity and headed straight to his seat on the dais. Carter on the other hand, made a beeline straight for where Felicity was sitting and sat down in the open seat next to her. "I understand congratulations are in order, Felicity," Carter said, "I hope...truly hope, you and Oliver will be happy."

Felicity nodded her head at Carter's words and said, "We are. We are very happy."

"Good," Carter replied. Then he looked around Felicity, straight at Agent Torres and asked, "Who is this charming creature sitting next to you?"

Felicity groaned inwardly and replied, "Dr. Carter Bowen, let me introduce you to CC Torres, on loan to Star City from the Army Corp of Engineers to help us with the infrastructure rebuild." Then she looked at CC and said, "CC, this is Carter Bowen."

CC extended her hand around Felicity and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you Dr. Bowen."

Carter reached for CC's hand and held it far too longer than necessary and said, "The pleasure is all mine."

Felicity rolled her eyes and thought to herself, does he say that to all the women he meets?

CC actively pulled her hand out of Carter's grasp just as Oliver banged the gavel to start the Council meetings.

Once all the formalities that happen at the beginning of a City Council meeting were finished, Oliver said, "The Council will now hear an update on the rebuild of the public works infrastructure from Deputy Mayor Queen."

As Felicity stood up, camera flashes began again as she walked the few feet between her seat in the audience and the podium facing the City Council Members. Once at the podium Felicity placed her tablet on the podium and was just about to start her announcement of the disaster declaration, when her tablet started to ping at her. She looked down at the tablet screen, then quickly looked up at Oliver and over at Agent Torres, with her eyes widening and the color draining from her face. 

Oliver could see how upset she was, but was unsure how to react, until his cell phone too started to ping at him. He looked down at the cell phone screen and saw what Felicity must have seen that made her blanche. Her facial recognition software had located August Mitre. He was in City Hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI my dear readers - Because our family vacation got cut a little short two weeks ago, we’re heading out of town for a little trip with our boys. The next update may not be until the middle of next week.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> There's a bit of excitement at the City Council meeting...stuff happens. :-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Twenty

Oliver instinctively stood up and scanned the Council Chambers, looking for the man's face who had just appeared on his screen as being inside the building. He quickly looked at every masculine form in the room to see if any of them bore his characteristics. He noticed Agent Torres had positioned herself directly behind where Felicity was standing, using her body to shield Felicity from any potential attack.

Council Member Briggs leaned into his microphone and asked, "Mr. Mayor, is there something wrong?" Then he gave Felicity a vexed look and asked, "Deputy Mayor Smoak, who is that woman with you?"

Oliver's left-hand middle finger and thumb were rubbing against each other as he continued to scan the room, not responding to Brigg's question.

Felicity shook her head at Oliver, who clenched his jaw firmly as he sat back down in his chair at her look. She turned to look at Agent Torres, gave her a nod and then faced the City Council again, "Apologies to the Council for this interruption, I just wanted to make sure I had the most current information necessary to update you on the infrastructure re-build." She gave a quick nod of her head to Oliver, who continued scanning the crowd for potential threats from his seat in his chair, still mindful of the room full of reporters, television cameras and meeting attendees. "I would like to introduce you to Ms. Cecilia Torres. The Army Corps of Engineers has loaned her to our City to assist the Public Works Department with negotiating through the avalanche of red tape that follows a disaster declaration. We received word late yesterday that FEMA had finally approved our disaster declaration application. Ms. Torres is a resident of Star City and more than qualified to assist our Public Works Team to quickly and safely complete the infrastructure re-build. Ms. Torres..." Felicity motioned for Agent Torres to step up to the podium to address the Council.

Oliver didn't like that Agent Torres had moved away from protecting Felicity's rear flank, but there was nothing he could do without arousing suspicion.

Agent Torres kept Felicity at her side and said, "Thank you Deputy Mayor Queen for that introduction." Agent Torres took a quick look behind her, sweeping the room, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. "I have already met with the various members of your Public Works Team and have to tell you that they are all top-notch. Not only have they already assessed what needs to be re-built versus what can be repaired, but they have done their due diligence and created viable timelines and budgets to match." Agent Torres looked straight at Oliver.

Oliver picked up her cue and said, "Thank you Ms. Torres and Deputy Mayor Queen for that report..."

Council Member Briggs interjected, "Just a moment Mr. Mayor. I have a few questions for the Deputy Mayor and Ms. Torres."

Felicity looked at Oliver, who could barely contain his anger. "We have a rather aggressive meeting agenda, Council Member Briggs. It would be best if we handled questions during the Public Works Sub-committee meeting tomorrow," Oliver replied with a voice so deep, it almost sounded like his Arrow voice.

Council Member Briggs smiled at Oliver, "Mr. Mayor, you may not be familiar with all of the proper Council Meeting protocols yet, but it is the responsibility of each City Council member to question, when necessary, City Staff about decisions or programs they are in charge of to make sure that our constituents' needs are being met." 

Agent Torres resumed her position behind Felicity as she stepped back up to the podium.

Oliver, frustrated that he was unable to whisk Felicity out of the building and had to let the Council Member have his say, replied with poorly concealed anger, "Council Member Briggs, you may ask your question."

The Council member smiled and asked, "Deputy Mayor Smoak..."

"It's Deputy Mayor Queen, Council Member," replied Felicity sweetly with a smile. Jerk!

"Ah, yes," the Council member acknowledged with a patently false smile for the cameras recording the proceedings. "Deputy Mayor Queen, then, what can you tell us about the financial assistance the Feds are planning on sending to our City?"

The doors to the City Council Chamber opened and all heads turned in their direction. There stood one of the largest man Felicity had ever seen, impeccably dressed in a suit, tie, with hair cut closely cropped to his head. The man walked in and headed to an open seat at the front of the room.

Felicity gave Oliver an anxious look. Who the heck is this guy, she wondered. She looked at Agent Torres, who looked even more anxious than Oliver. Felicity noticed the hulk of a man, who had taken the seat closest to the front, give Oliver a nod of his head, which made Oliver visibly relax ever so slightly in his chair.

Council Member Briggs said impatiently, "Mrs. Queen, will you or Ms. Torres, please answer the question?"

Felicity turned back to the podium and said, "The amount of financial assistance has not been determined yet by the Federal Government, Council Member. Ms. Torres will be submitting our Staff budget requests and rebuild plans to see how much of an allocation we will be able to garner. We will be working in tandem with our representatives on Capitol Hill to make sure that we get the necessary funds to complete this project."

Council Member Briggs leaned back in his chair, looked at Felicity and then gave an appraising look to Agent Torres and replied, "Well, I hope that you both are working day and night to make sure we get our fair share and that it is enough to truly make a difference in the lives of our citizens who were devastated by the recent attacks." Council Member Briggs then looked out into the audience, almost directly into the cameras and said, "In the past four years, our City has had to suffer through an earthquake, a siege, an outbreak and now an Armageddon. I simply don't know how much more of this our citizens can take!"

The audience began clapping their hands in agreement.

Agent Torres stepped back up to the podium and said, "Council Member Briggs, no one understands this better than I. My family's home was destroyed by the earthquake. I had friends hurt by those crazed, super-powered thugs during the siege. A good friend died because of the outbreak and now..." Agent Torres paused for a moment then continued, "Now with everything that has happened, I just want to make Star City a better place for all of us to live." She gave Felicity a reassuring smile, then nodded her head at   
Oliver and said, "Mayor Queen gave a lot of us hope that day when chaos ensued. He was willing to rally the people to stand up and fight for our city. He was the only one out there standing for what he believed in and instilling that same belief into each and every resident of Star City. So, my being here is not just a duty that has been assigned to me by my commanding officer. My being here is my way of saying that I firmly believe in what Mayor Queen stood for then and continues to stand for now...together, we will make Star City great again."

The sounds of cheers, clapping and whistles punctuated the final sentence Agent Torres gave. She nodded her head at Oliver, then turned around to see Felicity smile at her, when she saw the cameraman at the back of the room remove something from inside   
his camera and aimed it directly at Felicity.

Agent Torres yelled "GUN!" and yanked Felicity down to protect her from the gun shots. Felicity grunted in pain.

Agent Torres looked down at Felicity and noticed that blood was seeping out of her left shoulder. “Felicity!” she exclaimed as people began screaming and trying to run out of the room, including the City Council Members, who were desperately trying to make their way out of the room via the emergency exit closest to them.

Oliver stood up from his Mayor's chair ready to vault over the dais and head toward Felicity, when he noticed the large man who had placed himself at the front of the room stand and point a gun at the shooter. With two shots, the shooter was down and surrounded by the police officers who had been guarding the doors to the Council Chambers. Oliver ran down from the dais, over to where Agent Torres was protecting Felicity. He saw the blood starting to flow quicker out of the wound in Felicity’s shoulder. He looked at Agent Torres to make sure she wasn’t similarly injured. 

“I’m okay,” Felicity said quickly, as Agent Torres continued to put pressure on her gun-shot wound, “Oliver, I’m okay.”

Oliver cupped her face and then stood up quickly ready to defend his love with his bare hands as Carter Bowen approached where they were.

Carter held up both hands and said, “I’ve called 9-1-1 to send an ambulance for the injured.” Then he kneeled down next to Agent Torres and asked, “Is it okay if I take a look at Felicity’s injury?”

Agent Torres quickly nodded her head, “It’s a through-and-through.” She motioned her head toward the podium and said, “The slug is imbedded into the podium behind me.”

Carter took out a handkerchief from his pocket, pressed it to Felicity’s wound on her shoulder, smiled at her and said, “You seem to know your wounds, Ms. Torres. Do you have any medical training?”

Agent Torres replied bitterly, “Just because I’m an engineer doesn’t mean I’ve never seen live combat.”

“Oliver, please hold this down on Felicity’s wound,” Carter instructed and then he proceeded to remove his suit jacket and wrap it around her. “Agent Torres, please see if there are any other jackets laying around that we can use to wrap around Mrs. Queen.”

Oliver quickly removed his jacket and wrapped it around Felicity as well to keep her from going into shock. He cooed to his wife, “Baby, stay with me, please. The ambulance will be here soon.” He gently stroked her face and Felicity moaned in pain softly.

She looked up at Oliver knowing that with each grimace she made a little part of him blamed himself for her injury. Her eyes began to flutter and she whispered, “Oliver…It’s going…to be…o..k…”

“Felicity!” Oliver yelled. “Felicity! Honey, don’t close your eyes. Please, Babe, do not close your eyes.”

The doors to the Council Chamber burst open and the ambulance crew arrived. Carter gave them an update on what he had done to assist Felicity and then he followed the crew as they quickly transported her to the hospital, Oliver never leaving her side.

Once at the hospital, the staff there quickly attended to Felicity’s wound. Carter, himself, personally seeing to Felicity’s care. Oliver refused to leave her side. Once they had stabilized her, cleaned up her wound and placed her into a private hospital room, then and only then, did Oliver finally allow himself to take a moment to think about what had happened. Carter had reassured him that Felicity would be fine and only needed a few days to recover from what had happened.

When she finally opened her eyes later that evening, Oliver was sitting there, by her bedside, holding her hand. She slowly smiled at him and said, “I think I’m ready for that honeymoon you said we were going to put off until after we were done rebuilding this city.”

Oliver leaned forward and kissed her gently on her lips. “Come on, Babe. Let’s go now before anyone notices that we’re missing,” he joked, unshed tears still shimmering in his eyes.

She tried to push herself up on her bed, but winced in pain as her shoulder wound reminded her what had happened earlier. Felicity sank back down on her bed and asked quietly, “What did I miss?”

Oliver took in a deep breath and thought carefully of the next words that he would tell her. Do I tell her that it was definitely August Mitre who had shot her? Do I tell her that the only lead in tracking down who was targeting her was now laying on cold hard slab in the City Morgue? Just tell her everything, he reluctantly told himself.

"A lot has happened since everything occurred this morning at City Hall, Baby," Oliver replied.

Felicity gave him a smirk and said, "I bet." She squeezed his hand and asked, "Are you ready to talk about it?"

Oliver grinned tightly and shook his head, then said, "I know I need to tell you what's happened..." He was interrupted by a knock on Felicity's door. There stood the large man from the City Council meeting.

Felicity looked at Oliver as he stood up to greet the man and motion for him to enter her hospital room.

"Peter, please come in," Oliver said to the large man.

Oliver walked back over to Felicity and said, “Felicity, this is F.B.I. Agent Peter Dashkin. Peter, this is my wife, Felicity.”

Felicity smiled at Peter, and said, “Thank you for saving our lives, Agent Dashkin.” Great, now we have the F.B.I. involved. Who’s next, the C.I.A., she wondered.

Peter smiled back at her and said, “Please, Mrs. Queen, call me Peter.”

Felicity thought she heard a slight accent in his voice.

“That’s because I was raised in Russia.” Peter replied.

Felicity gasped, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

“No worries, Mrs. Queen. My parents were school teachers at the American School in Moscow and I grew up there.” Peter smiled down at her and then looked back at Oliver and said, “Sir, I have given my statement to the Starling Police Department already. They found the actual cameraman dead in his news station's van.” 

Oliver nodded his head at Peter and said, “Find out whatever the police has recovered as evidence and report back to me, and only me. Understood?”

Peter nodded his head in agreement and said, “Of course, Captain. Then I can brief you on the arrangements we have made for the Pakhan’s arrival.”

Oliver inclined his head at Peter and replied, “Of course. You know how to reach me.”

Agent Dashkin said, “Yes, Captain.” Then he looked at Felicity, smiled, gave her a slight bow and said, “Welcome to the family, Mrs. Queen.” Peter exited the room and shut the door tightly. 

Felicity looked up at Oliver, smiled and asked, "I take it he's Bratva?"

Oliver looked down at his wife, raised her hand to his lips, nodding his head, "He is Bratva."

Felicity looked around the room and asked groggily, "Where's Agent Torres?"

"Agent Torres had to head back to A.R.G.U.S. to brief Lyla on what happened this morning," Oliver answered. "Lyla called earlier to check on you, but you were still out from the pain medication they had given you earlier. I told her that I would let her know as soon as you woke up."

There was another knock on the door. This time it was Carter Bowen standing there. Oliver stood up as Carter entered the room. "How's my patient doing?" Carter asked Felicity.

"Well...I'm starting to feel pain, so whatever magic cocktail you gave me is already wearing off," she replied.

Carter chuckled, "I see that you still have your witty sense of humor, Felicity. That's good."

Oliver frowned and tightened his hold on Felicity's hand. "Will Felicity be able to go home tonight, Carter?" he asked.

Carter looked at Oliver and answered, "I'd like to keep her overnight for observation. If in the morning, her vitals continue to look good, then I'll release her to go home and recuperate for a few days."

Oliver looked at Carter and said, "Thank you, Carter." Oliver reached out his hand and Carter shook it.

"No problem, Oliver," Carter smiled at Felicity and added, "Your wife is an excellent patient." He gave Felicity a wink and then headed out the door, ignoring the angry look on Oliver's face.

"Hey," Felicity said as she gently tugged on Oliver's hand. 

Oliver sat back down in the chair next to his wife's bed and looked at her with concern.

Felicity knew she needed to get Oliver's attention focused back on the situation at hand and not how Carter Bowen always seemed to know how to push his buttons. "Honey, I haven't forgotten that you haven't told me everything that has happened while I've been laying in this hospital bed. Now, please, Oliver, tell me what else has happened."

Oliver looked at her and said, "August Mitre is dead. Anatoli sent Peter here to help protect you. He was just doing his job, when he killed Mitre. Agent Torres was pretty pissed off that the Bureau is involved. She doesn't know that Peter is Bratva and we cannot blow his cover. He is a very valuable asset to the Bratva and Anatoli will be greatly displeased to lose his access to so much valuable information. Lyla is helping with August's back story. She's had A.R.G.U.S. plant information about him that he was nothing more than a disgruntled constituent who died in his failed assassination attempt, or at least that's the story that the media is being fed."

Felicity closed her eyes for a moment and squeezed Oliver's hand to reassure him that she had not fallen unconscious. "So what happens next?" she asked as she opened her eyes once more and searched her husband's face for a reaction.

Oliver took in a deep breath, exhaled and said, "Now, we wait to see if you will released tomorrow to go home. Peter, let me know that Anatoli has already seen to have the former Merlyn Estate readied for our arrival. Evidently, my Dear, you purchased the entire estate, real estate and furnishings, not to mention, the entire Merlyn Collection of Automobiles." Oliver chuckled and added, "I will truly take great pleasure in driving several of Malcolm's cars that he always used to forbid Tommy from driving."

Felicity chuckled then grimaced. "You are not reverting to your former Playboy Billionaire ways, Mr. Queen. You have a wife and responsibilities now, Mister," she teased.

Oliver leaned over to kiss her gently on the lips and said, "As long as you're by my side, I'll have no need to."

Felicity smiled and said sleepily with a little yawn, "I think I need to sleep." She scooted her body over to the side and added, "Care to join your wife in bed, Mr. Queen?"

Oliver gave his wife a sheepish grin and simply complied with her request.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my weekend plans have changed and I was able to knock out this chapter.  
> I may be able to update again by Sunday.   
> I hope you are enjoying my story so far... :-)


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> The aftermath of what happened at the City Council meeting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Twenty-One

“The Star City Police Department has confirmed that Deputy Mayor Felicity Queen was the sole person injured in the shooting at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Sources within the SCPD told News 52 that the alleged gunman, a Mr. August Mitre, aged 52, left a series of letters blaming the City Council for their failure to protect the city during last month’s turmoil and that he was planning on making a public statement to condemn their inaction. The Mayor’s Office was swift to comment that this was the action of a single, disgruntled constituent and that his actions will in no way impede the progress of the rebuilding Star City. Sources close to the Queen Camp have confirmed that Deputy Mayor Queen has been released from the hospital and will be recovering at home for a few days before resuming duties at City Hall next week.”

Click. Felicity turned off the television in her new bedroom at Malcolm Merlyn’s home. Not Malcolm Merlyn’s home, MY home, she reminded herself as she sat in the middle of the very masculine and not quite to her taste, massive four poster bed that dominated the room. She looked around the immense master suite. Whomever Anatoli hired to prepare this house for their occupancy was very thorough and had chosen some amazing pieces of furniture and art for their new home, with the exception of this bed, she thought. Felicity definitely appreciated that everything in the house had been thoroughly cleaned and prepped for when they arrived at the house yesterday. She knew that Oliver had contacted Lyla about sending over all of the items salvaged from the loft, but knew she wasn’t quite ready to go through everything yet. 

It was creepy to think that someone else had gone through her personal items, destroying her sense of privacy. Then having this monstrosity of a home purchased for her and readied for her and Oliver to call ‘home’. Not to mention the closets filled with clothing for both of them that had also been discovered upon their arrival. It was all a bit overwhelming, she chuckled to herself. But then again, it wouldn’t be life as she’s known it to be since that day Oliver walked into her cubicle with a flimsy excuse of going to a coffee shop in a bad neighborhood to explain why his laptop had bullet holes, she reminded herself.

It had been two days since the shooting and she knew that they were no closer to solving the mystery that was August Mitre or who had hired him to come after her. She picked up her tablet off the bedside table to check her email. She spent the next few hours replying to various messages from JJ, Mrs. Sanchez and also from Agent Torres and going over Departmental reports. She may be cooped up at home resting, but the work of rebuilding the City wasn’t going to be slowed down because of what happened. The fact her team was able to carry on in spite of her having to recover at home was a true testament to their capabilities and she was very proud of all them, working together to continue making progress on the infrastructure rebuild. Agent Torres had taken up the lead and was spearheading their progress while she was out of the office for a few days. 

Her thoughts quickly turned to Oliver, who she knew was still very upset about Mitre being able to sneak his way into the Council Chambers with a concealed gun. She was still trying to figure out why her facial recognition software had taken so long to identify Mitre and alert them that he was in the building. He had been in the Council Chambers long before she or Oliver had arrived. If the software had alerted them sooner, they could have alerted Lyla to his presence and captured him. She trusted Lyla and knew that she would never willingly put her life in jeopardy. It just seemed odd that a program she had great faith in would fail her.

Once she had been discharged from the hospital, Felicity was aware that Oliver had several terse phone calls with the Chief of Police about security measures at City Hall. She knew that he had Peter use his F.B.I. influence and resources to upgrade and improve security there. He had also informed Agent Torres that Agent Dashkin was currently on leave from the F.B.I. and a personal family friend who would be visiting for the next several weeks and accompanying him and Felicity upon occasion. She could only imagine how Agent Torres must have felt to know that someone from the F.B.I. was getting involved. She knew that Lyla never spoke very highly of the Bureau and was hoping that her contact with Agent Dashkin would be very limited. CC on the other hand, would likely see Peter almost every day at City Hall until her tormentor was captured. 

With all of his concerns about security, Oliver had spent most of his time in his new study at the house and ordered Peter to assign only those men he trusted to guard their new estate, leaving Felicity to recuperate in bed, without him. When he had brought her a lunch tray to check on her, she tried to remind him that they could also turn to Lyla for assistance, but Oliver swiftly declined without a reason and headed for the bedroom door. 

This was getting ridiculous, she thought to herself. "Oliver, we need to talk about this..." Felicity's request causing Oliver to pause at the door and turn around to face her. The look on his face let her know that he had expected his decision to not be up for discussion. She continued softly, but firmly, "...right now."

Oliver took in a deep breath and walked back over to the small side table where she sat ignoring the amazing lunch he had set down in front of her to eat. Why does she want to debate her safety with me, he wondered. Doesn't she know that every single decision I am making is to keep her safe?

"Lyla is our friend. She's already helped us so much. Why don't you want to include her?" Felicity asked.

Did he tell her because he suspected that the person after her was from A.R.G.U.S.? Should he use that the advent of the Bratva involvement required that the less they interact with A.R.G.U.S. the better. Instead he replied, "Babe, Lyla has already loaned us Agent Torres to assist you with the infrastructure rebuild and to protect you while at City Hall." Oliver kneeled down next to her chair and gave her a charming smile. "Besides, with Anatoli arriving tomorrow, I'm going to be a little busy while he's here and was hoping that as Deputy Mayor you could maybe spend a little more time working there to help cover my absence." He leaned in to nuzzle her neck to further distract her, but Felicity was not buying whatever he was trying to sell her. 

She pulled away from him in her chair and said, "Don't do this, Oliver."

Oliver looked at his wife. "Babe, there are certain expectations of me..."

"Oh, I understand that once again here is another part of your past that is coming back to haunt us, Oliver," Felicity said. "What I don't understand is why you still haven't told me everything about this part of your past that is now becoming a part of our life together." Felicity searched his eyes looking for a smidgen of acceptance that he no longer had to wage war alone. They were a team, forever, and nothing would break their bond...nothing except for lies and lies of omission...Oh, Oliver, Felicity wondered, what are you not telling me?

Oliver looked at his wife who was waiting for him to answer her. He wanted to shake his head no and tell her that she simply was misunderstanding everything that he was planning, but he knew that was a lie. Felicity knew him better, sometimes better than he knew himself. Instead he stayed there knelt down next her internally debating what exactly he should tell her. Don't do it, Oliver, he could here John Diggle's voice in his mind. John would tell him to simply tell her the truth...she could handle it...she had to handle it. 

Oliver reached for Felicity's hand, gently stroking it with his thumb and said, "I would prefer to not ask Lyla for anymore assistance because I have some concerns..."

Felicity smiled at Oliver and said, "Now, Mr. Queen, was that so terribly difficult to tell your wife the truth?"

Oliver took in a deep breath, exhaled and continued, "I think someone in A.R.G.U.S. is the person who hired August Mitre and I am concerned that now that he has failed that they will simply look to hire someone else to come after you or come after you directly them self."

"I think you may be right, Oliver," Felicity admitted. She too had her doubts, but hadn't said anything because it just seemed to improbable...until the shooting happened. "The facial recognition software failed to alert us in a timely manner that August Mitre was in the building and that has never happened before. The delay in the alert could have only been caused by someone with access to the root server for the program. Lyla has several people at A.R.G.U.S. headquarters who could have interfered with the program's alert signal and made it look like a glitch in the system." Felicity held her husband's hand and said, "What are we going to do about this?"

"I've already voiced my concerns with Lyla who thinks I'm simply being an overprotective husband," Oliver replied. "I think she's allowing her loyalty to the people under her command to blind her to the possibility that any one of them could mean to do you harm."

"Okay, so does your concern extend to Agent Torres?" Felicity asked.

"It did," Oliver answered honestly, "and I'm still not completely convinced that it's not her. I've asked Peter to conduct a thorough background check on her." Then he reluctantly admitted, "However, I am willing to give he the benefit of the doubt since I could tell she did everything she could to protect you, even though in the end you still got shot."

"Well I do know that she knows her way around government red-tape," Felicity told him. "I received an email from CC letting me know that Congress included in their emergency financial aid package for the Havenrock Relief Fund, enough money earmarked for our public works infrastructure rebuild." Felicity got quiet, let her head droop and Oliver wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey, I know I'm not really keen on you heading over to A.R.G.U.S. right now, but you did mention to Lyla that you were ready to talk to someone about what happened a few weeks ago," Oliver said. "There's someone loyal to Anatoli that you could speak to as well, Felicity. He's an old family friend of Anatoli's and usually travels with him. Would you like me to see if he's coming so that maybe you could talk to him while he's here?"

Felicity nodded her head and said, "I think I'd prefer that right now." She looked into Oliver's eyes, then closed her before giving him a soft, gentle kiss on the lips. 

"Oh Frack!" she exclaimed.

Oliver looked around them and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

"Your fundraiser is this weekend at Walter's home. Anatoli arrives tomorrow. My life is in mortal peril. Anything else you want me to list about what's wrong right now?" Felicity asked.

Oliver chuckled. "Babe, Anatoli will be here tomorrow afternoon. We will have a simple dinner as he will no doubt be extremely jet-lagged upon his arrival. Mavis and Mark have the fundraiser handled. All we have to do is show up. Besides, Peter has hand-picked your new security detail from within the ranks of the SCPD, who also happen to be Bratva loyalists."

"What about Agent Torres?" Felicity asked. "Won't she be expecting to attend this event as well?"

Oliver nodded and said, "Oh, I'm counting on her being there. It's the only way Peter can continue to keep an eye on her as well."

Felicity's stomach began growling, so she started to nibble on some of the items Oliver had brought to her for lunch. "Are you ready to talk to me about how you joined the Bratva?" she asked.

Oliver sighed, "All you need to know is that I did some pretty reprehensible things that I would prefer to not remember."

Felicity looked at him and replied, "Oliver, I remember what you were like when you first got back to Star City. Whatever you had to do, you did to make sure you were able to come back and right your family's wrongs to this city. You don't have to go into specifics...yet, with me...but I hope that one day you will choose to share that part of your life with me, especially, since we're joining that world together."

How do I tell her that on my first day with them I killed three people simply because Anatoli told me to? How do I tell her that not only was I Anatoli's most loyal follower, I was also his most lethal? Oliver looked at his beautiful, loving wife and hugged her tightly to him, mindful of her still recovering shoulder. "Baby, I will share it with you, eventually, at my pace."

Felicity stroked his back and said, "Oliver, the more I know, the better I can advise you and help you. Remember, Team Queen and we're co-captains?"

"Felicity," Oliver sighed, "You just have to trust me on this right now. My position in the Bratva is still tenuous. There could be threats from the local branch members who refuse to recognize me as Captain. Once Anatoli is here, I will hold a meeting with the local brotherhood where Anatoli will solidify my position. You will be expected to entertain the wives at a similar meeting with Anatoli's beloved. I won't be able to help you, but I can warn you that the women often are the more dangerous as they are usually the ones who pull the strings behind the scenes. They can be just as shrewd, conniving and underhanded as any Bratva man. You will definitely have your hands full with them and I know you can handle them."

"Divide and conquer is our strategy then?" Felicity asked.

"More like impress, cajole and manipulate to our will," he replied.

"I'm not sure if I can be that ruthless, Oliver," Felicity admitted quietly.

Oliver tensed. She would need to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Anatoli will arrive in the next chapter...  
> I hope you are still enjoying the story. There is so much more left to occur.  
> Thank you for joining me on this journey! :-)


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Felicity meets a new ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Miss Felicity, it is time," Felicity heard spoken from her bedroom doorway. She looked up to see the warm and friendly face of the woman who had helped raise Oliver and Thea when they lived at Queen Manor. Oliver had told Felicity that Raisa had been a second mother to both Queen siblings and that he had been heartbroken when he had to send her away when they had lost the house and Queen Consolidated. Felicity knew that Oliver had been thrilled when he learned that she had been brought on board to run the household for them. The fact that this woman had shown Oliver and his sister so much kindness while they were growing up endeared her to Felicity. 

Felicity took in a deep breath, smiled at the matronly housekeeper and replied, "Thank you, Raisa. I will be down shortly."

Raisa nodded her head at Felicity and exited the room to head back downstairs.

Felicity stood up and took one more look at herself in the mirror. The simple blue dress, cinched at her waist with a red leather belt flattered her figure. She paired it with matching heels and a simple gold chain around her neck. She wore her hair in its usual ponytail that bounced as she made her way down the stairs toward where her husband stood admiring her as she approached him. 

Oliver extended his hand to her and gently, but firmly brought her into his left side, making sure he was careful with her left shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her, giving her a quick kiss on her temple. "Have I told you how beautiful you are yet?"

Felicity stood up on her tip-toes and whispered in his ear, "You showed me twice this morning, Mr. Queen." She kissed his cheek, put her feet down and gave him a devilish grin. 

Oliver leaned down and replied, "That was just me telling you I love you. I also need to tell you how beautiful you are, Beautiful." He gave her a quick wink and then they both faced the entrance of their home as their very important guest arrived.

The double doors of the main entrance opened. In walked Peter Dashkin with three other bodyguards, followed by a smiling Anatoli with a beautiful woman with long amber-colored hair and beautiful brown eyes, and an additional four bodyguards behind them. Anatoli spread his arms out and said, "My two favorite Americans!" Then he wrapped his arms around Oliver first and gave him a kiss on each cheek, then he eyed Felicity and gently lifted both of her hands to give them each a kiss. "Congratulations, my dear on your recent wedding to this one," Anatoli said with a wink and a nod toward Oliver. "I hope you liked my wedding present?" Anatoli released her hands and walked around in a circle in front of her waving his arms around him.

"Leave the poor girl alone," the woman with Anatoli demanded. She stepped around him and gave Felicity a hug and said, "Welcome to the family, Mrs. Queen. I am Ekaterina Belinskaya Knyazeva, but you may call me Katya." Before Felicity could respond, Katya turned to Oliver, slapped him on the arm and asked, "Do you deserve her?"

Oliver smiled at Katya's boldness and replied, "Absolutely not...but I love her and she knows that there is nothing I wouldn't do for her."

Felicity took in a deep breath ready to defend Oliver, when Katya smiled and said, "That is the correct answer, Oliver." She looked at Felicity and said, "Now, come, Mrs. Queen," then she gave Raisa a knowing nod of her head, which the housekeeper responded   
in kind. "We must have tea, then I think a bit of a rest." She hooked her arm through Felicity's right arm and walked through the foyer, following Raisa to a new destination. Katya stopped for a moment, turned to look back at Anatoli, she said, "Right My Beloved?"

Anatoli smiled at his wife and said, "We will be there soon, My Dear. First, Oliver, Peter and I have a bit of business to discuss."

Katya nodded her head at her husband, smiled and continued walking with Felicity in the direction that Raisa was leading them.

Felicity leaned into Katya as they walked and said, "Please, call me Felicity. Mrs. Queen was Oliver's mother and she didn't care for me all that much..."

"Pfft!” Katya replied, “Then she did not have Oliver's best interests in mind." 

Felicity gave Anatoli’s wife a shocked look, to which Katya replied as they continued walking, “I’ve seen the photos of you both in all the American magazines and entertainment news shows, little one. It was obvious how much he loves you. Granted, I was a little worried when you two broke off the engagement…”

Felicity began to interrupt her, but silenced when Katya placed her hand on Felicity’s arm and continued, “But I figured that he had done something foolish, yes?”

Felicity nodded her head.

“But since you married him, I take it that this foolishness was not another woman?”

“No,” Felicity responded, “He would never do that.”

Katya agreed and added softly with concern, “Yet, there is still a little uncertainty between the two of you, no?” 

Felicity didn’t reply. Was there still uncertainty between them? She knew that they loved each other, but with Anatoli here, would he stop including her in his decision making? How was his influence going to impact Team Queen, let alone, their activities as Team Arrow, or what was left of Team Arrow? 

Katya continued, “I’m so sorry I missed meeting you three years ago when you came to Russia for a quick visit. Anatoli still complains of the money he lost to you playing cards.”

At that moment, Raisa opened the doors to a beautiful room that looked like it belonged in a Jane Austen novel. On the table in front of them was a beautiful tea set and platter of assorted finger sandwiches and delicate pastries that looked almost too good to eat. Felicity turned to Raisa, who simply smiled at her and motioned for her to have a seat. Raisa poured the ladies tea and then quietly exited the room and closed the door behind her.

Katya closed her eyes, took a sip of her tea and smiled, "Ah! Much better." She opened her eyes to see Felicity sitting there watching her carefully. Katya gave Felicity a knowing look and said, "Come, little one, don’t be so quiet. I know how Oliver can be and right now, I think you are overthinking things." 

Felicity continued to look at Katya, uncharacteristically, without saying anything. Oh, I don’t know, maybe the fact that your husband is the leader of an international crime organization which derives its money from more nefarious activities than she would like to remind herself about, she thought. 

The problem with having to rest for a few days meant that Felicity had plenty of time to do her research on anything and everything she could find on-line about the Bratva. She knew that if they should fall out of favor with Anatoli, their lives would be forfeit.   
What she was less sure about was the amount of influence the woman who sat down across from her on the other settee, had over her husband. Would Anatoli be willing to do whatever she asked of him, should she or Oliver displease her? Felicity replied with a smile, “I’m delighted that you and Antatoli have graced us with your presence.”

Katya threw back her head and laughed, “That was a wonderful response!” She nodded her head in approval and said, “Your smile almost had me convinced you meant it. Just remember, my dear Felicity, to make sure your eyes do not give away what you are truly thinking and you will do well once the other wives get here.”

Felicity looked at Katya with uncertainty. “I’ve meant no disrespect, Katya.”

“Oh, I know that little one,” Katya replied. “Anatoli has tasked me to prepare you for the dinner tonight we will be having to first welcome us to this country and secondly, to establish Anatoli’s support for Oliver as the local leader of the Brotherhood in this territory.”

Felicity looked at Katya with surprise, “I thought that we were just going to have a small dinner tonight with you and Anatoli?”

“If dinner for fifty people is what you consider a small dinner party, then yes, we are having a small dinner tonight,” Katya answered back. She stood up and started walking toward the door. She stopped before opening it and turned around, “Come, little one, we must make sure your staff is prepared for tonight.”

Felicity looked down at her hands, where she had been twisting her wedding rings around her finger. It was something she had started doing to soothe herself in uncomfortable situations. She hadn’t thought she would have to deal with everything so soon. She had hoped that she would have at least a few days to really understand how much her life was going to change. She looked at Katya, stood up and walked over to join her at the door. She whispered honestly, “I’m not sure I’ll be ready in time.”

Katya looked at her with all seriousness, “You will be…you will be.”

The rest of the morning, Felicity did not see Oliver or Anatoli at all. She and Katya had spent time with Raisa, reviewing everything for the dinner that night. Felicity found out that not only had Anatoli had hired additional staff to assist Raisa for their stay at Avalon, he had also made sure to have everything Raisa would need delivered to prepare a sumptuous dinner for the local Brotherhood and their wives that night. While Raisa had been preparing things for Felicity and Oliver to greet Anatoli and Katya appropriately, the additional staff had been busy readying everything for dinner. 

"Raisa, why did you not share all of this information with me?" Felicity asked.

The housekeeper looked at Felicity in shock and said, "I'm sorry, Miss Felicity. You were recovering and Mr. Oliver requested that I not alarm you with anything unnecessary." Raisa smiled at her and added, "Besides, dinner for fifty people is nothing compared to some of the dinner parties I had to help cater for Mr. & Mrs. Queen." She turned her gaze to Katya, bowed and said, "It is an honor to serve Madame Knayzeva."

Katya gave Raisa an approving nod of her head and replied, "We will have cocktails and appetizers served at 7 p.m. and then will sit down for dinner promptly at 8 p.m."

Raisa smiled and answered, "All will be as you require, Madame, Miss Felicity." Then she headed off to the kitchen and then the dining room to make sure all preparations would be ready at the appointed time.

Felicity waited for Raisa to leave, turned to Katya and asked, "Will I be given any marching orders for tonight?"

Katya gave Felicity her full attention and responded, "You, my dear, need to prove that you are worthy of their loyalty and that you are deserving of their protection."

"I thought if Anatoli or Oliver commanded the local brotherhood to do something, that they are honor-bound to do it?" Felicity asked.

Katya answered, "They are, however, the men are less likely to do so should their wives find fault in their Captain's wife since it is her head they are protecting and it is their husbands who's lives are at risk." Katya sighed, and continued, "Oliver's reputation and   
Anatoli's backing are the only things right now preventing an all-out revolt for leadership in this territory. The fact that Oliver is now finally ready to assume that leadership is something that we are here to ensure..."

"And the fact that someone is out to kill me is causing concern as the local Brotherhood is unsure if even though I am Oliver's wife, am I truly worthy of their protection," Felicity finished.

Katya nodded her head in agreement and said, "This business of your attempted murder has the Brotherhood on edge. They are not used to having their women targeted so blatantly and by someone completely unknown. It makes them wonder if their families will be in more danger as a result of trying to protect you." Katya placed both hands on Felicity's shoulders and said, "Tonight is not only about showing our support for Oliver, but also for showing our solidarity in his choice of you for his bride."

"Because I broke it off earlier this year..."

"Yes," Katya replied succinctly. She saw the stricken look on Felicity's face and said, "The women and the men think Oliver married you for your money and that Oliver is weak because you ended the engagement and he continued to pursue you until you married last week...you are merely a woman of great wealth who must be easy to manipulate since you capitulated to his charms. They do not know you like Oliver knows you. You must show them tonight that you are worthy of their loyalty as much as Oliver."

Felicity looked at Katya and asked, "Why are you helping me? You don't know me, either."

"Ah, yes, this is true..." replied Katya, " but I do know Oliver Queen and he would not pick a weak-willed woman. He would choose someone who is his equal in her own way." Katya then led Felicity down the hallway back toward the staircase and said, "Plus, my husband assures me that you are worthy of Oliver as much as he is worthy of you." Katya gave Felicity a gentle hug and said, "Tonight, you will dress like the royalty that you are. Anatoli and I will present you with a gift and you will charm both the men and the women in the room. You will make Oliver proud and you will be proud of Oliver." Katya headed up the staircase with Felicity and said, "Now, little one, please show me to my room as I have to get ready and you do as well. Tonight, you will dazzle everyone and secure your place as worthy of being a Captain's wife."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I was correct in the spelling of Anatoli’s wife’s name. if I am incorrect, please let me know. I meant no disrespect and tried my best to make sure it was accurate.
> 
> I hope to update this weekend. I'm really looking forward to how the dinner party will proceed... :-)


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Now we get to find out what happened when Oliver, Anatoli and Peter meet...stuff happens...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Oliver watched with trepidation as Katya led his wife away from him toward the parlor for their refreshments.

Anatoli could sense that Oliver was worried about how Felicity would do in their world. A person with that much goodness in them chose one of two paths. The first restricted them to an uncomfortable balance between the light and the shadows, aware of the necessary evils surrounding them, but maintaining enough distance from it to keep their sanity, only delving into the depths of darkness when completely unavoidable. The other was to become consumed by the thrill the darkness presented and existing for each opportunity they could maintain the undeniable euphoria it gave them...a feeling of invincibility that forges the strongest weapon, but also a disposable one. Those who chose this path never lasted long. 

Anatoli had strived hard to train Oliver to follow the first path and had instructed Katya to do the same for Felicity in the very limited time they had. During Oliver's time in Russia under his tutelage, he noticed Oliver begin to veer down the latter path. That is when he sent him back to Star City to remind him of what his original goal had been and of course, to help Anatoli firmly establish a base of operation in America. Now with Oliver serving as Mayor and grounded by the stability of his marriage to Felicity, he knew it was time to put his plan into action. A plan he devised almost three years ago, but didn't think would come to fruition, until now.

Anatoli leaned into Oliver and said reassuringly, "Katya will have her ready for tonight, Oliver." Then he stepped back and said, "Come, Gentlemen, we have much to discuss."

Oliver nodded his head and led the way in the opposite direction of the ladies, toward his study. Anatoli's guards took their positions outside of the room, leaving their leader, Oliver and Peter to conduct their business.

Oliver went straight to the liquor cabinet and poured three shots of Vodka for them. They toasted to strength and then sat down in a small circle of chairs.

"Thank you for coming, Anatoli, " Oliver started, "and thank you for sending Peter when you did." Oliver turned to look at Peter and said, "If you hadn't been there..."

Peter shook his head and said, "No thanks are needed, Captain. There is nothing I wouldn't do to preserve the Brotherhood and those we protect."

Anatoli nodded his head in agreement, "We protect our own, gentlemen, and as such we must prepare for our meeting with our Brothers here in Star City." Anatoli looked at Oliver and said, "I have also asked for the regional leadership to be here for my visit to this territory. It is time that they come and pay their respects to their Captain and his new bride."

Oliver vaguely knew some of the leaders through reputation alone. They were ambitious, but disorganized. Too ineffective to wage war successfully against their local competition for dominance, they dealt in the lowest and the worse of the criminal elements.   
He looked at Anatoli and said, "I take it most of them have been under the impression that you were coming to establish one of them as Captain?"

Anatoli laughed and Peter frowned. "Ha! Those imbeciles wish they deserved to be called that," replied Anatoli. Then his countenance became serious and he said to them both, "You are the future of our organization. The two of you are who I will rely on to make sure we become stronger and more established in America." He focused on Oliver and said, "From what I hear, the Triad and the Italians have been weakened by the activities of the local vigilantes." Oliver knew better than to react to Anatoli's assertion about his team's activities. He had never spoken about his nighttime pursuits with Anatoli and he had no intention of broaching that subject tonight. Instead, he merely nodded his head in agreement and said, "the police have been ineffective in their ability to protect this city. It is not surprising that some of its citizens have decided that they should intervene."

Anatoli grumbled and replied, "So long as they do not target us, we will ignore them." Then he looked at Peter and said, "The time is ripe to establish our dominance here now that Oliver is mayor and local law enforcement is in disarray."

Peter nodded his head and added, "Not to mention the financial resources his very advantageous marriage has been able to secure him."

Oliver eyes blazed with anger. "My wife is not a source of revenue for the Brotherhood." He looked at Peter and declared, "Anything regarding Palmer Technologies is for her benefit or for our children's benefit," he answered, with a thinly guarded threatening tone.

Peter leaned forward in his chair and Anatoli flashed him a look to not move.

"Come now, Oliver," replied Anatoli, "I have seen your Love work her magic on the computer when last you were home. Had she not been able to access the Gulag's mainframe, we would not have known the exact location we needed to rescue your friend Mr.   
Diggle and his lady friend." It was his turn to lean forward and add, "A woman of her talents is highly valuable to our organization as we look to expand our interests into the world of technology, Oliver. It would be the perfect way for Felicity to prove her worth to those who you are asking to help protect her and follow your lead."

Oliver shook his head no and said, "There has to be another way."

"Perhaps, we should ask Mrs. Queen about this?" inserted Peter.

Oliver gave him a frosty look and replied simply, "No."

Anatoli smiled at Oliver's quick refusal and said, "I agree with Peter. She deserves the option to assist us or not assist us." Oliver continued shaking his head no and Anatoli replied, "It is only fair that I give her this choice, Oliver. She is a reasonable woman and after meeting with Katya, will no doubt come to the correct conclusion."

Oliver looked at Anatoli with an uncomfortable thought awakening in his mind. He needs Felicity for something he has planned, he thought to himself. He had been content to leave me alone in Star City for all this time only to now offer his assistance when it is   
Felicity's life in danger. What are you up to, my old friend? Oliver stood up and moved away from the chairs. "My wife is not a pawn for you to manipulate, Anatoli," replied Oliver. 

"Don't you mean a pawn for you to manipulate into marriage," replied Peter to the point.

Oliver's eyes flashed with rage and Anatoli stood up between the two gentlemen. 

"Enough!" Anatoli ordered, "Sit down, now!" 

Peter sat down right away, while Oliver still maintained a healthy distance from both gentlemen.

Anatoli looked at Oliver and said, "Oliver, please sit and hear me out."

Oliver moved slowly back to his chair and sat down.

Anatoli smiled and said, "Peter is aware of something that you need to know, Oliver." He turned to look at Peter and said, "Peter..."

"The F.B.I. has been tracking August Mitre for several years. We knew he was responsible for the deaths of several covert operatives from different branches of the U.S. government. However, we hadn't been able to successfully locate him until we heard chatter about a bounty being placed on the head of one Miss Felicity Smoak and that Mitre was the one contracted for the job. We knew this would mean that he would be headed to Star City and hoped that this would allow us to finally be able to capture him and bring him in to face justice. What we couldn't figure out was why would an international assassin target the 26 year old CEO of Palmer Technologies?" Peter paused to gauge Oliver's lack of reaction and said, "Either you are a stone cold son-of-a-bitch Queen who was counting on Mitre to accomplish his job so you could recoup your old lifestyle or you know why Mitre would target your wife and only contacted the Brotherhood because you are unable to protect her on your own."

Anatoli sat back, listening to Peter and waiting to see what Oliver would say or do next.

Oliver quickly thought to himself, they do not know the truth of how close this world came to a nuclear Armageddon, nor do they know about Felicity's role in what happened at Havenrock. Oliver sat back in his chair, mimicking Anatoli's posture and answered,   
"If Anatoli were not here, Peter Dashkin, you would be dead for insinuating that I only married my wife for her money, let alone that I was unable to protect her." 

Anatoli grinned at Oliver's declaration, but said nothing.

Oliver seeing Anatoli's reaction smiled at Peter to emphasize his calm demeanor masking his inner rage and then continued, "My wife's father is the hacker know as The Calculator. Recently, some of his former associates, who he had stolen a rather large sum of money from, found out about their connection and targeted her to try to get at him. He recently reacquainted himself with my wife after she acquired Palmer Tech, only to disappoint her by trying to steal one of her team's latest inventions. She had him arrested, but he escaped from prison several weeks ago. We have not heard or seen him since. All we knew was that Mitre was after her and I needed assistance protecting her. As Mayor of Star City, I knew that the police were incapable of protecting me, let alone her." Oliver paused for a moment to make sure that the two men were believing his story, then added, "First we went to Lyla Michaels with A.R.G.U.S., because she is a friend to Felicity, for assistance. However, I doubted that she had my wife's best interests in mind, so I made the call to Anatoli." Oliver looked at Anatoli and said, "I trust the members of the Bratva would protect my wife with their lives and in return, would receive my unwaivering loyalty." Oliver watched Anatoli smile again and then he added while watching Peter's unhappy reaction to Anatoli's smile, "You see, Peter, I understand exactly how this Brotherhood works, and right now, I work for the Brotherhood and you work for me."

Anatoli continued to grin, clapped his hands together and said, "Excellent! Now, that we all understand one another, we shall conduct this little dinner of ours, I will welcome Felicity into the family and then everyone shall pay their respects to our American   
Captain and his beloved. Now, let us review each family that is coming to visit and devise how we will manage tonight's event."

For the next several hours, the men continued to talk about each and every person coming to the dinner party that night. Oliver was still on edge after having to endure Dashkin's taunts about his reasons for being with Felicity. He didn't know why he let it bother him so much. It was nothing more than similar assumptions being made in all the local tabloids. His insecurities were starting to build upon one another, the more he allowed his mind to replay Peter's accusations. It was one thing to see those falsehoods printed on paper or headlining the evening talk shows, those things were easy to avoid. It was a completely different situation to be confronted with it to your face in your own home. By the time they were done discussing their strategy for the evening event, it was almost 6 p.m. and the guests would start arriving shortly.

Oliver showed the men to their rooms before finally making his way to the master suite. Once inside the room he saw his wife wearing her robe while sitting at her vanity table, making some final adjustments to her make-up. He gently closed the door behind him and stood there facing his wife, silently admiring her in all her radiant beauty. 

Felicity caught his reflection in her mirror and turned around in her chair to face him, smiled and said, "Any chance we could just turn off all the lights and pretend no one's home?"

Oliver chuckled and replied, "Only if you want to incur the wrath of Madame Knyazeva and even Anatoli wouldn't do that." He walked over to where she sat and knelt down beside her. He asked somberly, "Are you ready?"

Felicity shrugged her shoulders and said, "Not really, but Katya seems to think I'll be fine."

Oliver leaned forward to gently rest his forehead against hers and said, "Babe, we need to talk about something."

Felicity sighed, pulled back from him and replied, "Anatoli wants me to do something for him?"

Oliver looked at his wife and said, "I don't know what Anatoli's endgame is, but I know that he has plans for you to assist the Bratva in some way." Oliver reached for her hand to gently caress it and added, "Everyone is under the impression that I married you for your money and that Mitre was hired to kill you to help me become playboy billionaire Ollie Queen again."

Felicity frowned and stated, "You know I don't think that, right?"

Oliver nodded his head and said, "Um-huh, I know...but, I had to give them another reason for why Mitre would be contracted to kill you so I told Anatoli and Peter that your father is the internationally known computer hacker, The Calculator, and that it was some of his former business associates he robbed who have targeted you as a means to get back at him."

Felicity scoffed, "Yep, Noah certainly has a reputation that precedes him. I'm sure they believed that hook, line and sinker?"

Oliver nodded his head yes and said, "They did. But, you should know that Anatoli has some other plan for you, my love, and I do not have any idea what his endgame may be. The only thing he mentioned was utilizing your computer skills for the benefit of the Bratva."

"Well, we are going to owe them a fairly big favor for protecting me, Oliver," Felicity responded.

"A favor that only I should have to pay," replied Oliver.

Felicity shook her head in disagreement, "Hey, remember, you...me...Team Queen." Felicity placed both hands on Oliver's face and said, "We are equally responsible for any favors owed, Oliver, and you would do well to remember that." Then she leaned forward and gently kissed him on the lips and said, "Now you had better go get in that shower, Mister. We only have a few minutes left to finish getting ready and there is no way I'm going to disappoint Katya by arriving late to our own dinner party."

Oliver gave her a slight smile, stood up and said while heading to the bathroom to get ready, "I'll be just a few minutes and then we will both head downstairs together."

Felicity smiled at him as he closed the door to start getting ready for their evening activities, that didn't include a bow and arrow for once.

Oliver stood patiently waiting in his charcoal grey suit, white shirt and royal blue tie, for Felicity to step out of her dressing room. Once she did, he couldn't help the wide grin that appeared on his face, only to be replaced by concern that his wife was going to turn heads looking as breath-taking as she did. "You look amazing, Baby."

Felicity smiled at his comment, did a small twirl allowing her skirt to billow around her and said, "You look pretty handsome yourself, Honey." The chiffon pleated skirt in sky blue had a matching halter top that perfectly showed off her delicately rounded shoulders and perfectly toned arms. Her hair was softly tied back at top, allowing the length of her hair to cascade down her back. Katya had told Felicity to only wear a pair of diamond earring studs and that she would be presented with a piece of jewelry as a gift from her and Anatoli to symbolize her acceptance as a Bratva wife.

Oliver held out his arm for her to take and they headed downstairs, one step at a time. 

Anatoli smiled at the couple and nodded his head in approval as they made their way toward him and Katya. They were ready to receive their guests and he, for one, was looking forward to seeing what happened next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the dinner party will be in the next chapter.  
> I'm still plotting it out right now and hope to have it posted soon.  
> Thank you so much for hanging in their with me and joining me on this journey! :-)


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> I present to you...The Dinner Party... Stuff happens...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Twenty-Four

After standing in the receiving line to greet each and every guest as they entered their home, Felicity leaned into Oliver and whispered, "I don't believe I've ever met that many men named 'Dimitri' in my entire life."

Oliver smiled down at his wife, kissed her temple and whispered back as they followed Anatoli and Katya toward the parlor where pre-dinner cocktails and appetizers were being served, "You're doing great, Babe. Just keep smiling and be your charming self."

Ugh, she thought to herself, charming is what you do best, Mr. Queen. Felicity gripped Oliver's arm tighter as he escorted her towards their guests.

As they entered the room, Anatoli nodded his head at Raisa, who then had the wait staff pour and serve a vodka shoot to every person in the room. Then he looked at where Oliver and Felicity stood and nodded at Oliver.

Oliver said, "Thank you everyone for coming to our home. My Beloved and I welcome you as friends and family..." He paused to look at Felicity and wrapped his arm around her tighter, continuing, "and hope that you will join me in welcoming The Pakhan and Madame Knyazeva. They do our home a great honor by visiting us and blessing our recent marriage." Then he raised his glass and said, "To strength" which everyone repeated and then they all drank their toast. There was a slight murmuring around the room, but they were silenced when Anatoli stepped forward.

Anatoli patted Oliver on the back, gently lifted Felicity's hand to kiss and then announced, "As my chosen Captain in America, Oliver Queen has both my trust and respect." He looked around the room to see if anyone would dare disagree with him. There were a few gazes that looked away from his, but no one voiced an opinion. Anatoli grinned and added, "His position as Mayor of Star City will prove invaluable to the Brotherhood as we expand our operation in America."

"With all do respect, Pakhan," said one of the Dimitris, Felicity had met earlier, "He must win his election first."

Peter moved from out of the shadows behind the man who spoke, grabbed him around the back of the neck and slammed him down, face first, onto the table next to him. He growled, "Do you doubt our Captain, Dimitri?" Peter leaned on the gentlemen's back, pulling his left arm up and behind him, causing great pain as seen on the man's purplish red face. "Well?" he said, "I'm waiting for a response."

Dimitri replied in an anguished voice, "I meant no disrespect, Captain."

"Peter!" shouted Oliver, startling Felicity as she stood next to her husband. Oliver would not make eye contact with her. Instead, she saw that his furrowed angry brow was directed at the scene Peter had caused. Felicity turned to look at Katya, who discreetly nodded her head at her to direct her gaze forward, showing her solidarity with Oliver. Felicity took the cue, and elevated her chin ever so slightly, schooling her features to show that they were united.

"See that you don't," replied Peter as he gave one final push onto the man's back and released him.

Dimitri stumbled away from the table, visibly still in pain, but unwilling to push his concerns any further.

Oliver removed his arm from Felicity's grasp and stepped forward, saying, "Dimitri, is correct. I am only serving as the temporary Mayor of Star City. I must win the election in August." Oliver looked around the room at the various faces and said, "With your support and assistance, my victory is assured and the Brotherhood will benefit."

Anatoli moved next to Oliver, while Katya took up a similar place next to Felicity, and said definitively, "Oliver will win the election. He will continue to be the Mayor of Star City and as a result, the Brotherhood will control the single most important shipping point of exit and entry on the American West Coast."

There were murmurs of support in the room at Anatoli's statement. The assembled knew the importance of controlling the busiest seaport in the United States and the financial boon it would mean to their families. So is this your play, Anatoli, Oliver wondered to himself. Was this the endgame the Pakhan was hoping for?

Felicity looked around the room and saw how quickly both the men and the women of the Bratva facial expressions morphed from suspicion to outright greed in an instant of Anatoli's declaration. So loyalty has its price after all, she thought to herself, I wonder what we're going to have to promise to maintain it. She looked at Anatoli and thought he reminded her of Rumpelstiltskin, promising to weave straw into gold in exchange for the first born child. Surely whatever price must be paid wouldn't be that, right?

Caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice when Anatoli moved to stand next to her. He grabbed her hand, breaking her train of thought and walked her to the center of the room. Anatoli said, "You have all met the beautiful wife of your Captain." The gathered nodded their heads. Felicity blushed and Anatoli continued, "You all know that my beloved and I lost our only child when she was a little girl and that we were never blessed with another..."

Felicity's breath caught in her throat and she looked at Anatoli with sad eyes. Her heart broke for them. She saw Katya nod her head at Anatoli and noticed that Oliver was giving Anatoli a confused look. 

Anatoli continued, "What you are not aware of is that my wife and I have named Felicity Smoak Queen as sole heir to our family and bestow on her the title of Princess and all the honor, respect and protection the title demands from the Brotherhood." There was a collective gasp of shock in the room. Heads turned to one another, each trying to determine if they had heard their Pakhan's statement correctly.

"Huh?" said Felicity. Her confused gaze directed at Oliver, who stood there in shock at first, then allowed his gaze to turn to anger. Felicity looked at her husband, then Anatoli who smiled at her and then last Katya, who was growing misty-eyed. "I'm sorry, Anatoli, but I don't understand what is going on..." she said to him. Felicity tilted her head and asked, "What do you mean by Princess?"

Oliver strode forward and wrapped his arm around his wife, pulling her away from Anatoli's side. He leaned forward and whispered in Anatoli's ear, the venom in his voice unmistakable, "What are you up to, Old Friend?"

Anatoli leaned back from Oliver, smiled at the two of them and pulled a small black velvet box out of his pocket. He opened the box and took out a small gold signet ring. He reached for Felicity's right hand and placed it on her ring finger. "From this day forward Little One, you are and will forever be my daughter and heir." Anatoli waived over at Peter to join him where he stood. "Peter Dashkin has volunteered to serve as my daughter's personal bodyguard."

"What?" Felicity gasped. Felicity looked at Oliver who stood there stoically. 

He knew he couldn't publicly defy Anatoli. He also knew that he didn't want Peter Dashkin anywhere near Felicity, simply because he wasn't completely convinced that he could trust him, especially after all he had done to provoke him earlier. "Pakhan, you have given us all quite a shock," Oliver said as calmly as possible. "It would be good for us to celebrate your recent announcement over dinner."

Anatoli's eyes twinkled. "Yes, yes, Oliver. That is a wonderful idea." Anatoli held out his arm for Felicity to take. She looked up at her husband, who nodded his head, and she took Anatoli's offered arm. 

Oliver stepped over to Katya and offered her his arm. As he pulled her in toward his side, he whispered, "Explain yourself, Katya."

Katya kept her eyes forward, turning her head to smile as they walked past the still stunned dinner party guests. She replied in a whisper, "Your Felicity made a good impression upon my beloved when last you were home." She paused to look up at Oliver and added, "You should be thankful we are honoring her with such a privilege, Oliver. Had I not approved of her this afternoon upon meeting her, you would have had to turn to someone else for assistance protecting your wife." Katya ended her statement with a smile and allowed Oliver to seat her at the small rectangular table facing the round tables where the rest of the dinner guests sat in the formal dining room.

After holding out Katya's chair for her, he walked to the other side of the table and sat next to Felicity to start the dinner meal. Oliver noticed that Anatoli manipulated Felicity's time speaking to her of his family tree and long Russian lineage. His only reassurance came from the fact that Felicity held tightly to his right hand with her left hand the entire time through dinner. Oliver kept giving her a gentle, comforting squeeze every time he felt her tense up. If Anatoli noticed, he never said a thing and kept his total attention focused on his new "daughter". 

When dinner was over, Oliver knew that Anatoli would stand up to dismiss the ladies to the parlor for their evening tea and have the men move to Oliver's study for their after dinner drinks. That would be his opportunity to figure out what game his mentor was up to and why would he just spring this on them without a warning. 

Anatoli stood up, placed his hand on Felicity's shoulder and said, "I hope you will endulge a proud Papa and agree with my request to break from tradition tonight, my friends." 

The assembled guests looked at each other as if nothing about this evening was going to surprise them now, making Anatoli smile.

Felicity tilted her head to look at Anatoli questioningly. You've just made me your daughter, buddy, what else are you up to, she wondered. 

Anatoli nodded his head at them and continued, "I have instructed the staff to set up some gaming tables for us in the ballroom so that we can have a little fun." Anatoli winked at Felicity, while Oliver scowled at him. 

He wants her to beat them at cards, Oliver thought to himself. He's going to showcase that particular skill of hers. Okay, Anatoli, Oliver thought, let's see where you are leading us.

Anatoli assisted Katya from her seat and led his wife toward the ballroom. Oliver, similarly helped Felicity from the table and they followed right behind the older couple.

"Were you aware that this was going to happen?" Felicity leaned into Oliver and asked with a whisper while placing her right hand on his arm to show him the signet ring.

"I had no idea about this, Babe," Oliver replied softly. "That sly fox caught me completely off-guard with his announcement."

Felicity nodded her head and said, "Now he wants me to play poker with our guests? I mean, he knows I'm going to beat them, right?" Counting cards isn't exactly a skill I like to advertise, she thought to herself, and why do I feel like I'm the prized heifer at the county fair, being paraded in front of the entire town. Why didn't Katya warn me that this was going to happen?

Oliver nodded his head slightly and said, "I have a feeling that he's counting on it." Oliver maintained a discreet distance behind Anatoli and Katya. When they entered the ballroom, Anatoli directed Felicity to join him at his table and Katya joined Oliver at a separate table. Peter Dashkin moved to stand directly behind Felicity, which did nothing to assuage Oliver's concern about that man or his intentions. 

Soon all the other guests moved into the room and took up their seats at various tables, with most of the women moving off to the side chairs in the room, content with sipping their tea and speculating about tonight's interesting development. 

Oliver played poker fairly well and had amassed a small fortune in front of him. When enough players had lost, Anatoli had the final ten players sit at the table where he sat next to Felicity, who had a the largest stack of chips of any player in the game. 

Oliver smiled knowingly at his clever wife and her poker acumen. She wasn't a Las Vegas girl for nothing, he thought with pride. After playing several hands, even Oliver busted out, leaving only two players at the table, Felicity and another man, who he remembered as being Alexi Leonov's second in command, Fyodor Asimov. 

Soon, everyone was crowding around the table, mostly on Fyodor's side, as Oliver and Peter weren't allowing anyone near Felicity where she sat. 

Anatoli couldn't help but notice the protective stance both men had around his adopted daughter. Oliver saw Anatoli's grin and frowned. He was still trying to work out Anatoli's endgame by naming Felicity his heir. If he was planning on doing that, why did he nudge him to marry her...to make him tell her what the expectations were once he reclaimed his title of Captain in the Bratva. There had to be more, he thought, he just couldn't figure out what it could be. 

The loud slam of a fist on the table broke Oliver out of his reverie. Fyodor was rapidly approaching Felicity and shouting at her in Russian about cheating and playing tricks on him. Oliver lunged at Fyodor and pinned him to the ground. Anatoli sat there at the table grinning, while Peter had pulled Felicity behind him and motioned for his men to surround her.

Oliver pinned Fyodor's neck to the ground and growled in Russian at him, "You will apologize to my wife and admit that she beat you fair and square or you will not live to kiss your children goodnight."

Fyodor struggled, but no one came to his aid. He finally acquiesced. Oliver allowed him to stand but did not release the tight hold he had on the man's arm. Fyodor said in English, "I apologize to Mrs. Queen..."

Oliver squeezed the man's arm tighter. 

Fyodor continued, the pain he was feeling evident in his voice, "and I admire her skills at the table." Fyodor looked around the room and then added in Russian with a leer in Felicity's direction, "A woman with a good parlor trick, must also be able to perform tricks in other rooms, too."

Oliver's eyes blazed with anger. He snapped Fyodor's arm and dislocated the man's shoulder in one swift move. Then he turned Fyodor around and pummeled his face until the man passed out. Oliver stood over the man's body and he turned to look at the assembled crowd. He said in Russian, "I am Captain Oliver Queen. I will not be disrespected in my home or in my City. Heed my warning...I am no one to be trifled with..."

Felicity tried to peek around Peter, but he wouldn't let her move. She heard Anatoli shout something in Russian and heard the shuffling of feet as the rest of the guests quickly left the room. She noticed that Katya was directing them out of the house. She could hear a woman sobbing and wailing in Russian. Once everyone was gone, Peter allowed for Felicity to move from around him. She saw her poker opponent sprawled on his back, blood covering his face and a woman sobbing on top of him. Felicity looked up and saw Oliver standing there, breathing hard, blood covering his hands. She walked towards him, but Anatoli stopped her and shook his head no. 

He whispered to her, "Let him calm down, Little One."

Felicity shrugged her arm out of his grasp and ran to Oliver. "Oliver?" she asked with no response from him, "Oliver?" she asked again. When she still didn't get a response, she gently laid her hand on his arm. He abruptly turned to face her, his face scowling, still angry at whatever he had heard or done. She placed her hand on his face, cupping his cheek. "Oliver," she said softly, "let's go get you cleaned up." Oliver nodded his head in agreement and let her guide him out of the room. As she turned to lead him away from the ballroom and up to their master suite, she paused for a moment to look at Peter and tilted her head toward where her opponent still lay on the ground. Peter gave her a respectful, understanding nod of his head. She looked at Anatoli who sat there smiling and she heard him say with pride as she exited the room with Oliver, "My daughter commands with a nod of her head. She is truly a Bratva Princess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you see that one coming????
> 
> We have the Political fundraiser coming up at Walter Steele's house next...


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> The day after...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Felicity woke up the next morning, alone.

She looked around and saw the remnants of her dress and Oliver's suit scattered around the floor of their room. She sat back against the pillows of their bed and sighed. She thought back to last night and remembered that once she and Oliver had silently entered their room, she had taken him into the bathroom to wash away the blood coating his hands. Then, she had wet a small towel to gently wipe away the random traces of spattered blood from his face. As she looked up at him, Oliver looked down at her, hauntingly. She didn’t know what the Russian had said to cause such a violent reaction from Oliver. All she knew was that she would do whatever she needed to reassure Oliver that his actions hadn’t changed the way she felt about him.

She remembered how Oliver had caught her hand after she had wiped away every bit of blood from his face and pulled her into him, kissing her like a man desperately afraid of losing something precious. Felicity had let him have his way, sensing that he craved the freedom to do whatever he wanted. She knew that through this gesture, he would realize the control he urgently needed after the volatility of events that night. She never questioned the sound of ripping material from their bodies, nor the ways he had taken her that night. Neither one of them was tender with their carnal actions. There was no languishing or teasing in the ways their bodies moved together in rhythm, igniting their senses and allowing them to relinquish all thought of their responsibilities to anyone or anything. There would be time enough for words, thoughts and discussion in the morning. At that moment, all they needed was each other. All she wanted was to be there for him, to make sure he knew that she would never leave him.

Oliver had sensed Felicity’s concern as she led him to the bathroom to get cleaned up. She had instinctively known that he needed the quiet to right his world that had just been tilted on its axis. He had so many questions, so many thoughts running through his mind. He looked down at Felicity as she was wiping away the last bits of blood from his face. How does this woman continue to love and care for the beast that I am, he wondered. Was this the life they would lead now that the Bratva was here? Will Felicity one day realize that no matter how brightly her light shone for him, it would never be enough to bring him out of the darkness? He knew at that moment, he had to do whatever it took to protect her from them and maybe even from himself. 

But not tonight. Tonight he needed her…underneath him, in front of him, above him. Desire coursing through him, he stopped her hand and pulled her in, kissing her with all the passion he had for her. He felt her relax in his arms, allowing him to move her from the bathroom to the bedroom. The ripping of the fabric from their garments in their haste to be as one went unnoticed. Sensing no resistance from her as he stripped her of the last bits of clothing, he spent the rest of the night worshiping her body. Once they were both completely sated, then, and only then, had he finally allowed the rest he knew his body was going to need happen. The gentle sound of Felicity’s breathing was the only lullaby he needed. He held her tighter to him, cherishing this woman above all else, come what may.

Felicity looked at the bedside clock telling her it was only 7:30 a.m. Then she saw the note card with her name on it. Picking it up, it read simply, "Out running to clear my head. Coffee is waiting for you in the parlor. Love, O."

Felicity placed the note down and smiled. She got up and removed all the discarded clothing from the floor, placing it in the closet. Maybe Raisa was used to finding torn clothing in Oliver's bedroom when he was younger, she thought. Then she chuckled to herself and thought, well, if she does manage to find these clothes, she'll likely think the newlyweds were to impatient to get their hands on one another. 

Felicity quickly got ready and opened her bedroom door to head downstairs. She stopped when she noticed that there were guards placed on either side of her bedroom door. They nodded their heads at her in acknowledgment, but said nothing. Felicity responded in kind and headed toward the parlor. She twisted her wedding rings around her finger and noticed that she still wore the ring Anatoli had presented to her last night. She had questions, many questions, that needed answers. As she entered the parlor, Katya was sitting there sipping her tea.

Katya looked up at Felicity, smiled and said, "Ah, my Little One, you are awake now, I see. Come sit with me and tell me about this soiree we are to attend this evening."

Felicity halted where she stood. Oh frack, she thought. Tonight's the fundraiser at Walter's house. She quickly composed herself and walked over to where Katya was sitting. "I think we have other things of more importance to discuss, Katya," Felicity replied.

Katya gave her a knowing nod of her head and said, "My husband will review with you, at your convenience of course, the entirety of our holdings and operations. We have already set aside a personal account for your use and established a separate fund that will be converted into a trust fund for your children." Katya set her cup down and added, "But those are all trivial business matters. Right now, I am sure that you have your own questions, that do not pertain to financial matters, that you would like answered, no?"

Felicity sat down in the chair closest to Katya, poured herself a cup of coffee, added her milk and sugar, then quietly sipped the wonderfully hot beverage. She smiled at Katya and replied, "Yes, I have questions. I only hope that the answers given truly answer the questions asked." Felicity placed her cup down and folded her hands in her lap, her eyes never leaving Katya's gaze.

Katya grinned, "Oh, you are truly a unique woman, my dear Felicity. No wonder you have both men I hold dearest in the world so enamored. My beloved knew you would give our dear Oliver a good long chase before finally becoming his."

Felicity blushed and Katya continued, "When Anatoli told me he met the woman to capture Oliver Queen's heart, I refused to believe it, until we met. Had Oliver not spoken so highly of you to me upon my arrival, I do not believe that we would be having this conversation right now."

Felicity tilted her head to the side, letting Katya's words replay in her mind. She asked, "What conversation would we be having instead?"

Katya gave Felicity a very thin smile and said, "None. I would have turned around and departed the house Anatoli purchased for you, refusing to stay in the home of a woman unworthy of such a gift and unworthy of a man, such as Oliver Queen." Katya tut-tutted and added, "Oh and then you bested that ass Fyodor Asimov at cards, wounding his pride and Oliver jumped in to defend your honor," Katya clapped her hands together and finished, "I knew we had made the right decision."

A knock on the door frame caused both women to turn around. Raisa said, "Pardon the intrusion, Madame Knyaseva, Miss Felicity, there is a Miss Temple on the phone for you."

"Thank you, Raisa. I'll take the call in Oliver's study," she replied.

"I'm sorry, Miss Felicity," said Raisa, " but that room is unavailable. The phone is there, on the side table by the fireplace." Raisa pointed in the direction of her gaze.

Felicity smiled, "Thank you, Raisa." She walked over to the side table and picked up the phone. "Hello, Mavis."

"Felicity," said the distinctive voice at the other end of the line. "I just wanted to make sure that everything was set for you and the Mayor's arrival tonight at Mr. Steele's home. Oliver texted me quite early this morning and mentioned that you have relatives visiting from Russia to help you celebrate your recent marriage and that they would be accompanying you to the event tonight." Mavis paused for a moment and added slyly, "Is there anything I should know?"

Oliver Queen, thank you for the head's up that you invited the Knyazevs to the event tonight, she thought. "No, Mavis," Felicity replied, "there is nothing you need to worry about. My Aunt and Uncle are here for a visit and we thought it would be a wonderful way to welcome them to Star City by bringing them to meet some of Oliver's most loyal supporters." It was Felicity's turn to pause for a moment. She turned her back toward Katya and added, "You should be aware that my Aunt and Uncle do travel with their own security."

"Oh, no worries, Felicity," Mavis replied. "Oliver included that information as well. See you tonight at 7 p.m." Mavis hung up the phone.

Felicity placed the handset back on the receiver, turned around to face Katya and said, "That was Oliver's Mayoral Campaign calling to remind us that the event starts at 7 p.m."

Katya smiled weakly and said, "Then we shall be ready at 6:30 p.m. so that we are not late to such an important event for our dear Oliver." Katya stood up from her seat and said, "I find that I am still a bit weary from the event last night, my Dear. Perhaps, we could finish our little talk later, maybe over lunch?" Katya moved to take a step and then slightly stumbled. 

Felicity ran to the older woman's side, helped prop her up and asked, "Are you feeling okay, Katya?"

Katya merely shook her head and said, "I'm so sorry Little One that you saw that. My body is not as strong as it once was and the events of last night have taken their toll on me." She leaned on Felicity a little more and sighed. 

Felicity did not know what to think. This woman who seemed so full of life yesterday, was now clinging to her, just to keep herself standing. "Katya, please tell me what is wrong," she asked softly.

"The doctors have already told me that there is nothing that they can do for me, Little One," Katya replied as Felicity helped her back to the chair where she had been sitting. "Anatoli was hoping that we would be able to see a specialist in Central City while we were in America, but I would prefer to just live the life I have left in peace."

"Is it cancer?" Felicity asked delicately.

Katya nodded her head and Felicity leaned down and gave her a hug.

"Oliver does not know, Felicity," Katya replied. "He is like a son to me and I do not want to cause him anymore pain than he has already experienced."

Felicity shook her head no and said, "I'm sorry, Katya, but you have to tell him." Felicity took in a deep breath and exhaled. Is this why they named me as their heir, she wondered. This is something that they cannot keep from Oliver. "Please promise me that you will tell him today, Katya. His own mother kept very deep, dark secrets from her son. Please do not make that same mistake with, Oliver. He deserves to know and he deserves to find out about this from you."

"What do I need to find out?" said the voice in the doorway. Felicity and Katya turned to the side to see Oliver standing there. He looked distractingly well in his jeans and royal blue Henley.

"Oliver, my dearest, please come and join us," Katya replied. She smiled at Felicity, who sat down in her chair.

Oliver walked over, kissed Katya's cheek and then gave Felicity a lingering kiss on her mouth before sitting down in the chair next to her. "So, what were you ladies talking about?" he asked.

"Felicity received a phone call from a Miss Temple earlier wanting to make sure that we were not late tonight for your event, Oliver," Katya replied.

Felicity gave Katya a look that she ignored. "Honey, Mavis mentioned that you had already texted her that my relatives were visiting from Russia and would be attending the fundraiser?"

Oliver blushed, knowing that he had made the decision to invite Anatoli and Katya to the event without talking to Felicity about it first. "I thought it would be nice for them to get an opportunity to meet some of my supporters and our friends at the event."

Felicity nodded her head slowly, "Um-huh...well, I let Mavis know that my Aunt and Uncle are delighted to attend and that we would be sure to be on time."

Oliver smiled and said, "Great!" Then he looked at Katya and asked, "Are you feeling alright, Katya? You seem a little pale."

Katya scoffed at him, "Nothing that a little more time in the beautiful sunshine and warm weather of Star City won't cure, Oliver." She smiled at Felicity and then added, "Now, why don't you two go and do what all good lovebirds want to do and spend some time together."

Felicity blushed and Oliver chuckled. "I would dearly love to do that right now, but unfortunately, Anatoli has tasked me with bringing my wife into the study to start reviewing a few items of business before we have to start getting ready for tonight's event."

Felicity looked at Katya and asked, "Would you like me to get someone for you?"

Katya nodded her head, "Raisa, please."

Then almost as if by magic, Raisa appeared and asked, "May I be of assistance, Madame."

Katya smiled at the gentle housekeeper and said, "One moment, please." She turned to look at Oliver and Felicity and said, "You two go to my Beloved and make sure he doesn't leave too many things out in his discussion with you." She smiled at Felicity and added, "Don't let him forget about the chateau in France and the villa in Italy."

They said their goodbyes to Katya and left the room to join Anatoli in the study. Oliver paused in the hallway outside the room and asked, "What is wrong with her, Felicity?"

Felicity could feel the tears begin to form and said, "It is her secret to tell you, Oliver. I've already told her that she needs to be the one to tell you, but that if she doesn't tell you today, I will." Felicity reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him down for a kiss, then she said, "If she doesn't tell you by the time the fundraiser is over, I promise I will tell you."

Oliver nodded his head in agreement and then opened the door of his study where Anatoli waited for them. They reviewed the vast wealth and real estate holdings that were in Anatoli's and Katya's names. 

Felicity couldn't believe how much there was to review. She heard the clock chime and noticed that it was already 4 p.m. She gasped. "I'm sorry gentlemen, but I must start getting ready for the event tonight." She looked at Anatoli and said, "Thank you for all of this Anatoli, but I would honestly prefer to never have any of it. Isn't there someone more worthy or loyal to brotherhood who deserves this?"

Anatoli frowned then quickly smiled and said, "Not at all. The fact that you do not want this only proves to me that you do deserve it. I know that when my time comes, everything that Katya and I have built will live on through you and your family. Now, my   
Princess, go get ready and we will how do you say it..."Wow them" tonight at Oliver's party."

Felicity smiled and asked, "Oliver will you be joining me soon?"

Oliver smiled and replied, "I'll be up soon, Babe. I just have a few things left to review with Anatoli before tonight's event."

Felicity nodded her head at both of them and went up to her room to get ready. Replaying the events of last night and today felt surreal until she looked down and saw the simple gold signet ring on her right hand's ring finger again. Felicity shook her head to try and clear her thoughts to no avail. She didn't want to be a Bratva Princess. She didn't want to be Anatoli's and Katya's heir. All she had ever wanted to do was be the foremost expert in cybersecurity and then Oliver Queen had entered her life. She smiled as she thought of him. No matter what happened in their past or their future, he would always be her happy story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this recent chapter.  
> The fundraiser is coming up next...


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Felicity and Oliver have a talk. Something interesting happen at the fundraiser...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Oliver entered their bedroom an hour later to find Felicity once again sitting at her vanity, clad only in her dressing robe, putting the finishing touches on her hairstyle for the evening. Instead of her trademark ponytail, which he adored watching bounce at the back of her head as she walked, she wore her hair completely down, allowing its natural curl to gracefully cascade along her shoulders. He closed the door and walked over to his beautiful wife and whispered softly in her ear, “I don’t deserve you.”

Felicity turned around and said, “Oh, buddy, we are going to have to agree to disagree on that statement, because you most definitely deserve me.” She held up her left hand, wiggled her fingers at him, showcasing her wedding bands and grinned, “See, I have the hardware to prove it to you too.”

Oliver chuckled and pulled her up so that she was standing in front of him. He gently kissed her nose and said, ‘Hey, we need to talk.”

Felicity nodded her head and moved over to the little couch in their room. She sat and he joined her, “What did Anatoli tell you?”

Oliver sighed and said, “He told me about Katya and the cancer.”

Felicity wrapped her arms around him and asked, “Are you okay?”

Oliver hugged her back and said, “This helps.” Then he sat back, still rubbing his hand along her arm, not wanting to break their skin to skin contact in any way and said, “Anatoli let me know that the doctors are amazed that she has lasted this long. They hadn’t wanted her to travel, but her eagerness to meet you gave her a new energy that Anatoli hadn’t seen in a long time. He couldn’t deny her request to come and meet my bride.”

Felicity smiled gently, “I can tell she means a lot to you.”

“She does," Oliver nodded his head. "When I was first brought into the Brotherhood, it was rough and I was in a very dark place. A place where kindness got you killed and a smile meant death was soon to follow.” He intertwined their fingers and said, “Katya, showed me that there was a different way. She saw something in me, something that I didn’t think existed any longer and she made sure that I didn’t forget that there is still light in the world no matter how dark it may get." He paused for a moment and then said, "When she was much younger, her Father arranged her marriage to Anatoli. She saw the same thing in him and helped him rise to take her Father’s place as Pakhan, after his death. Later, when she found out that I had saved Anatoli’s life, she was the one who helped pave the way for me to be Captain. Katya is a force to be reckoned with and I fear for Anatoli when she is gone. I would not be surprised if he decided it was time for him to step down as Pakhan and let somebody else lead the Brotherhood.” 

Felicity’s eyes widened. Is he talking about himself, about us one day leading the Bratva? “Is that why Anatoli and his wife made me their heir?”

Oliver nodded his head, looked at Felicity, a slight shadow dampening his features, “Katya and Anatoli are truly the perfect team. They complement each other and run the Brotherhood together. Although no one openly acknowledges the amount of power Katya truly wields behind the scenes of the Bratva, everyone knows that her approval is also required before any major decision is made that will impact the Brotherhood. It’s one of the reasons why the wives curry her favor. They want to make sure that it is their husbands that get the best assignments and territories to increase not only the Brotherhood’s wealth, but their own personal fortunes as well.”

Felicity looked at Oliver and asked, “So what does all of this mean for us? Do they see us as being Anatoli and Katya 2.0?”

Oliver chuckled, “That is something that you and I are going to have to come to a decision about.”

Felicity tilted her head at him and pursed her lips, waiting for him to continue.

“Anatoli had originally thought about making me his heir, but Katya, all though fond of me, didn’t think I could handle the responsibility.” 

Felicity harrumphed and Oliver continued, “She wasn’t wrong, Felicity. At the time, I was too consumed with finding my way back to Star City and implementing my plan to rectify the wrongs my family had committed against this City. When I left Russia and finally made my way home, I chose to forget much of what she taught me. I needed to be focused on my objective and not let what I had started to consider a weakness begin to cloud my judgement.”

He pulled her into his embrace and said, “But, you entered my life and reminded me so much of her. Your inner strength, wisdom and above all your smile.” He gently kissed her temple and said, “I would look at you and in your eyes see the man I wanted to be, the man I knew I could be.”

“And then we went to Russia to rescue Lyla,” Felicity said.

Oliver nodded his head and said, “We went to Russia and you, just by being yourself, delighted Anatoli.” He cuddled closer to her and said, “Evidently, he has been planning this ever since you met him and beat him at poker. He had been waiting for the right time to first talk to you about it, but then Katya got sick and then he learned about the threat against you. He let me know that had I not contacted him, he was already putting into motion his own plan to protect you, either with or without my help.”

“So what do we do now?” Felicity asked.

“Now, my lovely wife,” Oliver replied, “we finish getting ready for this fundraiser being held for me at Walter’s house. Next, we figure out who is after your pretty little head and stop them before they succeed. Then, we decide the path we take next, together.”

Felicity sighed as she leaned into him. How could they literally be the Bratva Power Couple, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Star City and Overwatch and the Green Arrow all at the same time? When were they going to have time to just be Oliver and Felicity Queen? She lightly patted his arm, he released his hold on her and she stood up and away from him. “You’re right, Hun,” she replied. “We need to take this one thing at a time, and right now, I need to finish getting ready and you need hurry up and get ready, too. We don’t want to be late and incur the wrath of your Mayoral Campaign Team, do we?”

Oliver quickly rose from the couch and approached her slowly with his sexy grin on full display, “I think I’d be willing to brave a few raps across my knuckles with a ruler if you have something in mind that that might cause us to be a bit late to our own party, Mrs. Queen…”

Felicity giggled and wiggled her finger at her husband, beckoning him to her. That was all the signal he needed.

Oliver had made arrangements for them to arrive at Walter's house via a back entrance. He did not want Anatoli or Katya subjected to the throngs of paparazzi and reporters that were staked out in front of Walter's home. Once inside, he and Felicity escorted them to Walter for an introduction, who was as always gracious in his welcoming of Felicity's Aunt and Uncle. Walter never questioned the four large bodyguards that followed the older couple everywhere they went. He merely smiled at them all and let them know in what high esteem he held their niece and he was very proud of all of her accomplishments, especially all of her hard work serving as Deputy Mayor of Star City.

Anatoli beamed with pride, Katya smiled, Oliver grinned and Felicity turned a deep shade of pink at Walter's high praise. "Thank you, Walter," she replied, "I'm a fan of yours too."

Once pleasantries were through, Anatoli told Oliver and Felicity to mix and mingle. He and Katya would find a nice quiet area to sit and observe America's Political Process at work. The bodyguards led the couple away toward a quieter area of Walter's home, but still with a vantage point to watch all the comings and goings of the event. 

Mark Francis with Mavis Temple, approached Oliver and Felicity. "Oliver...Felicity," he said, "Tonight is already going spectacularly! Walter has gotten almost the entire board of Starling National here and they have each opened their pocketbook to support the campaign." Mark turned to Felicity and said, "You don't mind if we borrow Oliver to make some very important introductions do you?"

Felicity looked at Oliver quickly, when she saw Agent Torres, looking stunning in a simple silver sheath that glistened as she walked, heading toward her with a very unhappy look on her face, followed closely behind with an equally unhappy Peter Dashkin, who looked quite dashing in his suit, crisp white linen shirt and blood red tie. "Please go right ahead, your guys," Felicity answered. "I see Ms. Torres heading my way, no doubt eager to brief me on the infrastructure rebuild."

Oliver turned and saw CC and Peter headed their way. He pulled Felicity into him and whispered, "I'd prefer you stay by my side tonight, Babe."

Felicity smiled and whispered back, "Peter and CC are both here, plus who knows how many other covert bodyguards he has assigned." She gave Oliver a quick peck on the cheek, waved him off to go with Mark and Mavis, then turned back around to face Agents Torres and Dashkin.

"Deputy Mayor Queen," Agent Torres began.

Felicity interrupted her, grinned and said, "We're not at City Hall, CC. Please call me Felicity."

"Felicity," CC said, "Would you please remind Agent Dashkin that I am your primary bodyguard and that technically he is on vacation and not here for official business in Star City?"

"Look, Agent Torres," Peter replied, "Mrs. Queen's family and my family have a long history, so I'm not going anywhere, so long as her life is still in danger."

"You are overreaching here, Dashkin. I'd hate to have to make a call about your interference," CC threatened.

Peter smiled, leaned in close to CC and responded, "Please my little spitfire...make the call." He stood back up, straightening his spine to his full height, towering over both ladies.

CC scrunched her nose at him, looked at Felicity and asked, "Well?"

Felicity chuckled at the two of them and replied, "I'm sorry CC, but you and Peter are going to have to find a way to work this out between you two." She reached out her hand, gently squeezed CC's arm, leaned in and said, "Besides, I think we need all the help we can get until we've figured out who is the person trying to get me killed."

CC let out an exasperated sigh and walked away from the two of them as Peter chuckled. He looked at Felicity and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Queen," then turned his head to watch where CC was storming off to and said with a voice that reminded her of Oliver when he wanted something, "My dear Agent Torres is going to give me a merry chase, isn't she."

Felicity tilted her head, observing how Agent Dashkin watched CC walk over to the opposite side of the room and replied, "She's an engineer and extremely analytical of every situation. Give her some time, Agent Dashkin. Once she's had a moment to process that you aren't going anywhere, she'll understand." She smiled at Agent Dashkin and said, "You know I prefer being called Felicity, instead of Mrs. Queen, especially if it's someone who has proven that they are a friend."

Agent Dashkin looked down at Felicity and replied, "I'm sorry Mrs. Queen, but you are the Captain's wife and such familiarity between you and your guard is frowned upon by the Brotherhood." He gave her a slight bow and asked, "Shall we join Agent Torres so that she can brief you on the infrastructure rebuild progress?"

Felicity nodded her head and turned to walk toward CC, with Agent Dashkin following her. So Dear Agent Dashkin is interested in the lovely Agent Torres, Felicity thought to herself. Perhaps some good will come out of all of this, she thought.

Once they had reached where Agent Torres had stormed off to, Felicity asked her to provide her with an update. CC let her know about the amazing amount of progress that had been made on the Rebuild process. The City had been given special authority to waive the normal Request for Proposal bidding process to expedite the purchasing of the materials needed for the infrastructure rebuild. As a result, they had been able to locate several local and regional companies that would be able to start construction within the next week and employ hundreds of local men and women in the process. Felicity was amazed and pleased at how smoothly her team was able to function under CC's capable leadership. Perhaps, now she would have the time needed to solve the mystery of who was trying to kill her.

The rest of the evening was fairly uneventful. In fact, Felicity thought, it was down right boring. Agents Torres and Dashkin never left her side, except during dinner, which was the only time she had seen Oliver after Mark and Mavis had whisked him away to charm those attending into making even greater contributions to his campaign fund or to publicly endorse his candidacy over Carter Bowen's. Once he had finally joined her at their assigned dinner table, he let her know that Anatoli and Katya had left for the evening and that they would join them for breakfast the next morning. 

As soon as the event was over, they had said good night to Agent Torres and let her know that they would see her at City Hall first thing Monday morning. Felicity caught Agent Dashkin's wink at CC, who blushed, then turned around and walked away with her head held high. Felicity chuckled to herself and Oliver gave his wife a funny look. She whispered to him, "I'll tell you when we get home." 

Oliver nodded his head and said to Peter, "Please have the car brought round for us, Peter," who nodded his head in response.

Oliver's cell phone rang and he answered it, "Queen."

Felicity saw Oliver's eyes grow misty and he said something in Russian, then hung up the phone. She looked up at Oliver with concern and asked, "Who was it, Hun?"

"That was Anatoli's guard," he replied. "Katya collapsed at the house and they rushed her to Star City General Hospital. I told them that we would meet them there."

Just then, their car appeared, Peter popped out and said, "I heard what happened. Please get in so that we can get to the hospital quickly."

Oliver and Felicity complied. She had a tight hold onto Oliver's hand. "Do you want me to call Caitlin and see if she can get on the next flight to Star City?"

Oliver nodded his head quietly in agreement, squeezed her hand and continued to stare out the window. 

Felicity knew that he was worried. She quickly dialed Caitlin's cell phone. When she answered on the first ring, Felicity breathed a sigh of relief. She told Caitlin about the situation and she agreed to fly to Star City on the first available flight. Felicity thanked her friend, hung up her phone and moved closer to Oliver as they sat in the back seat of the town car.

Peter said from the front passenger seat, "Captain, we will be there soon."

Oliver nodded his head, then wrapped his arm around his wife and held her tight to him. He knew that Katya was Anatoli's entire world. If anything happened to her...no, he wouldn't let his thoughts go down that path. Caitlin would be here and she would figure something out. He tilted his head down and gave Felicity a kiss on the top of her head. He had seen many things in his lifetime and knew that miracles happened everyday. Right now, he thought, Katya needed that miracle and he hoped that somehow, someway, it would happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update probably won't be until Tuesday...but you never know... ;-)


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> An unexpected hero emerges...a truce is called...and a request is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

They arrived at the hospital and were quickly escorted to a private sitting area where Anatoli was waiting for them. Felicity walked straight over and wrapped her arms around him. "How is she and how are you doing?" she asked, Oliver and Peter both behind her.

Anatoli replied, "She is having an MRI done right now and they took some blood to analyze..."

Oliver put a reassuring hand on Anatoli's shoulder and said, "We're here for the both of you."

Felicity added, "I hope you and Katya don't mind, but I have a friend flying in from Central City so she can give us another opinion."

Anatoli gave them both a weary smile, "We've had the best doctors from all over Russia and Europe look at her case. I do not think my Beloved could handle another doctor telling her there is no hope for her again."

Felicity grasped Anatoli by the shoulders and said firmly, "Our friend is the best. She is amazing and I refuse to believe that there isn't anything that she can't do to help Katya."

Anatoli smiled at Felicity's boldness and staunch belief in her talented friend. He said, "You are like a ray of sunshine keeping the dark away from all who surrounds you." He nodded his head and said, "Very well then, my dear. We will let this miracle worker take a look at My Dearest."

A discreet cough from the doorway had everyone's head turning in that direction. Carter Bowen walked in and straight toward where they were standing. "Oliver?" Carter said with surprise. "I was told the Knyazev family were in this waiting room." He looked around the room and noticed the 6 burly men surrounding Oliver, Felicity and Anatoli.

Oliver strode over to Carter and said, "It's Felicity's Aunt who was brought in earlier." Oliver turned toward Anatoli and said, "Sir, this is Dr. Carter Bowen."

Carter took a few steps toward Anatoli with an outstretched hand in greeting.

Anatoli did not automatically reach for the hand Carter offered. Instead he stood back, head held high and said, "Are you the doctor treating my wife?"

Carter gave Anatoli a closed mouth grin and replied, "The ER doctor asked me to consult on your wife's case once he had an opportunity to take a look at the MRI performed earlier. He knew that I did a two year stint at Johns Hopkins treating brain tumors, specifically the type that is located in your wife's cranium." Carter paused for moment and looked around the room at the constantly vigilant men surrounding them and asked, "Can we please speak privately about your wife's condition?"

Felicity looked at Anatoli to see if he was going to dismiss them from the room. Instead, Anatoli said something in Russian and all the men left closing the door, leaving Oliver, Peter, her and Anatoli alone with Carter. They sat down in the chairs in the room and waited for Carter to update them. Peter maintained his position in front of the large window, while watching every move that Carter made. Oliver stayed standing behind where Felicity sat. He place a gentle hand on her shoulder, which she reached up to clasp while waiting for Carter to speak.

"Your wife has a tumor that I believe I can remove if you will authorize me to operate," Carter said.

"My wife has been to see the best doctors all over the world," Anatoli replied, "yet you, here in Star City, seem to think that you can cure her?"

Carter gave Anatoli a cocky smile and said simply, "Yes."

Oliver and Felicity both looked at Carter in disbelief. Felicity said, "Look Carter, my Aunt means the world to all of us. We can't have you telling us you believe you can remove it. We need to know that you can remove it and that it will cure her."

Carter looked at Felicity, this time with no humor in his eyes and said plainly, "I know I can remove the tumor. The question is more if she is strong enough to survive the surgery and the recovery process." He looked at each person in the room and continued, "I need to have her medical files emailed to me right away if you are going to authorize the surgery so that I can evaluate what's been done and how best to proceed with Mrs. Knyazev."

Felicity looked at Carter with suspicion. "We have our own medical doctor arriving tonight to evaluate her as well. I would like for her to consult and review the case with you before we authorize anything regarding my Aunt."

Anatoli interrupted, "I would like to see my wife and hear her opinion on this."

Carter replied, "You have two options, Sir. You can see her, but your wife is currently in a medically induced coma and will remain so until either you allow me to perform the surgery or you tell me we will not be able to perform the surgery and I will gradually bring her out of the coma and set you up with hospice care for the duration of your time here in Star City."

Felicity put a comforting hand on Anatoli's arm and said, "Uncle, please...let my friend evaluate my Aunt's condition with Dr. Bowen and then we will make a decision that is best for her."

Anatoli shook his head slowly in agreement. He said quietly, "Do as my Little One says."

Carter nodded his head, stood up and walked toward the door to leave. Oliver followed him and said, "We have Dr. Caitlin Snow from S.T.A.R. Labs on her way to consult on this case. We will make sure that she finds you upon her arrival at the hospital."

Carter's eyes brightened at Caitlin's name. "I know Dr. Snow. She presented a wonderful paper while I was in residency at Johns Hopkins on brain morphology. I will be delighted to consult with her on Felicity's Aunt's condition." He smiled as he left the room.

Several hours later, Caitlin arrived and she and Dr. Bowen reviewed the case and Katya's medical records. Finally, around 8 a.m. on Sunday morning, she joined them in the waiting room with news and a handful of papers.

"I have great news and I have not-so-great news," Caitlin told them as she adjusted the papers she carried on her lap as she sat down with them.

Peter stood away from the little group and stared out the window. Oliver reached for Felicity's hand as she was reaching for Anatoli's with her other hand. She gave both men a comforting squeeze and said, "Please tell us, Caitlin...good news first."

Caitlin took in a deep breath, exhaled and said, "I'm very positive that Dr. Bowen would be able to successfully remove the tumor that caused Mrs. Knyazev's collapse last night."

Oliver looked at Caitlin and said, "So, what's the not-so-great news?"

"While, we would be able to remove the tumor, our concern is that the cancer has spread to a few other areas of her body. We believe that with an aggressive dual treatment of radiation and chemotherapy, she will be able to recover and hopefully go into remission, eventually. Our only concern is whether or not her weakened body is strong enough to handle the stress of the surgery and then the recovery process we are proposing."

Anatoli kept quiet. He looked at Felicity, who looked at her friend and asked, "You've had an opportunity to review her medical history, Cait. Do you think that she is strong enough to withstand it all?"

"I'm sorry, Felicity," Caitlin replied, "I don't know your Aunt well enough to make that call. I can tell you that the fact that she is still with us is a testament to her fortitude and desire to live. I think you will need to assess if this is something that she would truly want or is this something you all want. She does not have a 'Do Not Resuscitate' form on file, only an authorized Power of Attorney for her husband should she be incapacitated." Caitlin looked directly at Anatoli and said, "I wish I could give you more hope or tell you that yes your wife is going to recover with flying colors, but unfortunately I can't. All I can tell you is that I think your wife is a fighter and stronger than most to have lived as long as she has with her condition." Caitlin gave them all a reassuring smile and added, "I know Dr. Bowen can be a bit of an ass, but he's one hell of a doctor. I have seen and heard of him performing miracles on cases worse than your wife's."

Oliver and Anatoli both looked at Felicity. She closed her eyes for a moment to stop and think. What would Katya want to do? She's already mentioned that she's tired of fighting and just wanted to live what ever time she has left in peace. Felicity opened her eyes and looked around the room. She noticed Peter standing there, his eyes red and shimmering. This woman means so much to everyone in this room. How do I not do everything possible to help her live? She looked at her friend Caitlin and asked, "What do you think we should do, Cait?"

Caitlin leaned back in her chair and replied, "I can't tell you what to do, Felicity. All I can do is present you with the facts as I know them in order for you or your Uncle to make a decision, keeping in mind what's in the best interest of the patient."

Anatoli stood up and said, "You have the trust of my niece and her husband, yes?"

Caitlin looked up Anatoli, nodded her head and said definitively, "Yes."

"Good," he replied, "then you will be there for the surgery to make sure that this ass Dr. Carter Bowen does not do anything to hurt my wife and then we will follow your recommendations for her recovery." He held his hand out to Caitlin for her to shake.

Caitlin stood up, took the offered hand and said, "I will do my very best, Sir."

Felicity stood up, hugged her friend and whispered, "Save her, Cait. Please save her for all of us..." a tear starting to stream down her face.

Caitlin hugged her friend tightly and whispered, "We're going to try." Then she handed the papers for Anatoli to sign. Once everything was in order, she let them know that they would be prepping Katya for surgery that day and they would not see her or Carter again until after the surgery later that night. She suggested that they all go home, get some sleep, change and eat. 

Felicity nodded her head at Caitlin's suggestions and gave her friend one last hug before she left the room. She walked back and sat down next Oliver.

Peter strode over and said, "Raisa is putting together some essentials for you and will have them brought over for you to change." He then looked at Anatoli and said, "I can have a cot brought in for you to get some rest, Pakhan."

Anatoli nodded his head and said, "Good. I will not be leaving my wife alone here in this hospital."

Anatoli's words stung Oliver as he remembered how he had left Felicity to recover on her own after multiple surgeries to repair the damage that Damien Darhk's men had done when they ambushed them in their limo. He gripped Felicity's hand tighter and she gave him a concerned look.

"Hey," she said to Oliver. "We won't leave Anatoli alone either."

Oliver slowly nodded his head, "I know. It's just that I was remembering what happened last year after the tree-lighting ceremony and how...how I wasn't there for you." Oliver inhaled and said with his head down, "I'm so sorry. I should have been there for you, like Anatoli is refusing to leave Katya here."

Felicity wrapped her arms around him and replied, "No looking backwards, Oliver, and thinking of all of our regrets or in the immortal words of your favorite movie, 'The Mighty Ducks' there will be no 'should have, could have, would have' moments for us. We are only moving forward and we need to be positive for Anatoli and Katya." She nodded her head to put an emphasis on this point. 

Oliver hugged her back, kissed he nose and said, "You are remarkable."

She smiled, kissed him gently and replied, "Thank you for remarking on it."

Just then a guard arrived with several bags and a food hamper. Raisa had not only sent fresh clothes for them all, but also sent over assorted sandwiches, crackers, cheeses, fruit and bottled waters for them to have while they were there. The guard let them know that they would be bringing a new hamper for each meal period they were at the hospital. Oliver and Felicity left the room to change into more comfortable clothes. When they returned, they successfully convinced Anatoli to eat and keep his strength up.   
They could tell the stress and concern on the older gentleman's face and only hoped that he would continue to take of himself as they asked.

Later Sunday evening, both Carter and Caitin walked into the waiting room. Everyone stood to great the doctors as they entered. "How is she?" asked Felicity.

Carter and Caitlin looked at each other and grinned. Caitlin replied, "She's doing amazingly, Felicity."

Felicity hugged her friend and then gave Carter a quick hug too. Oliver and Anatoli both shook Carter's hand and gave Caitlin a hug of thanks.

Carter stood back and said, "Your wife, Sir, is a survivor. The surgery could not have gone any better for her."

Anatoli smiled, tears in his eyes and asked, "When can I see her?"

Caitlin replied, "She's still in the recovery room right now and should be back to a private room close to this waiting room within a few hours. But please, only visit her one at a time. She is still very weak and needs to recover fully before she can have more than one visitor right now."

They all nodded their heads in agreement and hugged each other as the doctors departed the room to go back an check on their patient.

Oliver approached Carter, extended his hand out to him and said, "Thank you, Carter." Oliver made sure he gave Carter a sincere nod of his head.

Carter, nodded his head in acknowledgment and said, "I'll be back later to check on my patient." Then he looked at Caitlin and said, "Dr. Snow, were you still going to take the first shift?"

Caitlin nodded her head and replied, "Sure thing, Carter. I'll see you in the morning."

Carter smiled at her and left the room.

Felicity gave Caitlin a curious look and asked, "What was that all about, Caitlin?"

Caitlin blushed and said, "Carter and I decided that we would take turns with managing Mrs. Knyazev's post-surgery care. I let him know that I would take the first shift and then he'd relieve me first thing in the morning."

Felicity studied her friend very carefully. "Is that it?" she asked.

Caitlin replied very matter-of-factly, "Positive. Carter already tried to make a pass earlier during surgery, but I shot him down pretty quick." Caitlin leaned into Felicity and whispered, "Why does a man as gorgeous and brilliant as he is have to be such a complete ass?"

Felicity chuckled. All worry for her friend's tender heart evaporated.

The hospital provided Katya with a private room that had a second bed in the room for Anatoli to be able to stay with his wife. At first Felicity didn't think it would be possible for him to stay since Katya was still in intensive care, but when one makes a rather large charitable contribution to the new hospital wing, it was amazing what would be allowed. 

By the end of the week, Katya was showing remarkable progress from the surgery. Caitlin had to return to S.T.A.R. Labs, but promised that she would continue to keep tabs on Mrs. Knyazev's progress. Katya would be staying in the hospital for at least another week to continue to heal and to get started on the recommended treatment. She had thanked both of her doctors for helping her to heal and she let them know that she understood that she still had a lot of healing to do. Anatoli spent every day and night with his wife, assisting her in any way to help her heal and make her stay as pleasant as possible.

Felicity and Oliver split their time between City Hall and the hospital. They hadn't even been down to the bunker or out on patrol in weeks. Oliver only managed to continue to fit in his grueling work-out schedule by getting up every morning at 4:30 a.m.   
Afterwards, they would get ready and head into the office together, something that Oliver and Peter insisted on to make sure they could protect Felicity. Then in the evenings, Oliver would get stuck in his study dealing with Bratva business while Anatoli   
continued his stay at Katya's side.

Felicity's duties at City Hall continued to go smoothly, thanks to the efficiency of Agent Torres and how well she managed to integrate herself onto her team. Mrs. Sanchez adored the young woman and Felicity was pretty sure that JJ had a crush on her. She also noticed that Agent Torres and Agent Dashkin had come to a compromise about her protection with CC taking the lead at City Hall and Peter taking the lead the minute Felicity left. Peter's presence at City Hall on a daily basis didn't go unnoticed by nearly every woman and some of the men who couldn't help but admire him. Felicity had even caught a few of the ladies paying quite a bit of attention to Peter as he strode down a hallway one day. Mrs. Sanchez wasn't immune to his looks either. When Felicity had given the older woman a shocked look, Mrs. Sanchez simply replied, "Just because I'm old enough to be his mother doesn't mean I still can't appreciate how well that man looks in a suit." Then she added with a wink and a nod, "Any chance you'll be hosting an Employee Pool Party for your Executive Team?" Felicity turned a bright shade of pink and Mrs. Sanchez laughed heartily at her reaction and continued with her tasks at hand.

There had not been attempt on Felicity's life since the City Council meeting several weeks earlier. While thankful for the reprieve, it still worried Felicity to think that there was someone out there who still wanted her dead. She had spoken to Lyla to see if she had any more leads or luck with trying to discover who was behind it all, but it appeared that with the death of August Mitre, any progress they had made on the true mastermind's trail had gone cold. Lyla suggested that she focus on the issues at City Hall and getting Oliver elected Mayor. With everything that had happened with Katya, Oliver had placed his political campaign on hold until after Katya had recovered enough to continue her recovery at Avalon. Now with Katya ready to move back to the house to continue her recovery, Felicity knew that she and Oliver were going to have a real struggle with trying to maintain all of their responsibilities to Star City.

The ringing of her desk phone interrupted her thoughts and startled her. She looked down at the phone and answered it, "Felicity Queen."

"Hello, Mrs. Queen," the voice at the other end of the line responded. "This is Miss Patterson from Chairman Dennis' office. I was asked to call and let you know that the second quarter financial statement is ready for Board approval and that your attendance is requested for this month's Board meeting."

Felicity sat back in her chair and replied questioningly, "I was under the impression that we weren't going to have another Board meeting until after the upcoming Mayoral Election?" What is Mr. Dennis up to she wondered.

Miss Patterson replied, "I'm sorry Mrs. Queen, I don't have an answer for that question. I just started a week ago in this office and was tasked with calling all Board members to let them know that with the financial statements ready, Mr. Dennis wanted to hold a meeting next Wednesday morning at 9 a.m."

Felicity replied in exasperation, "Please email me the Board packet and I will plan on attending the meeting next week." Hopefully, the quarterly financials will give me a better idea of what is planned for this meeting, she thought.

"Thank you Mrs. Queen," replied Miss Patterson. Then she added with a whisper, "Curtis asked that I also let you know that he was going to call you later about something he's working on he thinks you'll be happy about."

Felicity wrinkled her forehead and asked, "Are you talking about Curtis Holt?"

"Yes, ma'am," replied Miss Patterson. "He's been the only person here who's treated me kindly since I started working. When I told him I was a bit nervous calling all of the Board members, he suggested I start with you because you be the nicest out of all of them and then he asked me to give you that message."

Felicity smiled and said, "Well, Curtis is a wonderful guy. You tell him I said that, okay, Miss Patterson?"

"Yes, Ma'am," replied Miss Patterson happily, "and please call me Nan. I look forward to meeting you next week." 

The phone call ended and the familiar ping of an incoming email diverted her attention to her tablet's screen. "Well, I guess I have some homework now," she said out loud to herself.

"Who you talking to Babe?" asked Oliver from her doorway.

Felicity smiled, shook her head and motioned for him to enter her office. "I just received a phone call from the new Board Secretary at Palmer Tech. Evidently, Mr. Dennis wants to call a Board meeting to review the second quarter financial statement."

Oliver leaned down to give his wife a quick kiss and then said, "Well, you may not be CEO any longer, but you're still the smartest person they have there. I know everything will go well for you."

Felicity smiled at Oliver and said, "Thank you for always being in my corner."

"No place I'd rather be," Oliver replied with a devilish grin. "Now how about we sneak out of City Hall and head home for some 'Tech Support'?"

Felicity stood up from her chair, straightened her glasses, smiled, and said in a sultry voice, "Why Mr. Queen, how can I be of assistance?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is probably the last update for a week or so.  
> I'm going to HVFF in San Jose this weekend and need to get ready for the trip.  
> I'm looking forward to meeting my fellow Arrow Fandom friends and of course the chance to meet Stephen Amell!


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Felicity has a Board Meeting to attend...stuff happens...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.  
> There is a lovely piece of artwork created by the wonderful VictoriaOlicity that you can see on my Tumblr page for this story. Thank you again my friend!

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The week passed with a flurry of activity. Katya had recovered enough to be able to move back to Avalon with the caveat that she continue the recovery plan designed by Dr. Carter Bowen and Dr. Caitlin Snow. They had made arrangements to have all of her necessary treatments take place at the hospital, but all other care would take place in the comfort of the suite of rooms Raisa had prepared for Katya and Anatoli on the first floor of their new home. Peter was not happy with their room's location, but acquiesced as it made it easier for Katya to get around from the wheelchair she now needed to use if she had to walk more than a few feet away from her bed. 

Anatoli sent for more of his own personal guard to join him in Star City. Several members of the local brotherhood were wary of this sudden influx of additional forces from Russia. They requested a meeting with Oliver to discuss their concerns. Once the men had arrived at Avalon to meet with Oliver, they expressed their concern that the Pakhan was going to usurp their positions in the territory. Oliver had merely shook his head in disagreement and let them know that it was merely a precaution to maintain the Pakhan's security at full strength while visiting Star City. 

Dimitri Medeyev spoke up first, looked at Oliver and said evenly, "With all due respect, Captain, the Pakhan should be relying on those resources closest to him here in Star City." He stepped forward and looked around the room at the other local leaders and said, "Each one of us would gladly loan as many men as the Pakhan needed to keep him and his family safe." Several heads nodded in agreement as Oliver scanned the room. Emboldened, Dimitri continued, "By turning his eyes away from us, it makes one think that he does not hold us in as high regard as perhaps he should..." 

Oliver maintained an outwardly calm demeanor, but inwardly was seething. These men are sniffing for blood, he thought. They are looking for any sign of weakness. Well, gentlemen, I hope you have all come prepared. Oliver put on his classic "Ollie Queen Charming Smile", stood up from the desk chair and moved to stand in front of his desk and replied, "Dimitri, do you remember what happened to the last man who disrespected my family in my own home?" The men in the room sank back into their respective seats and said nothing, leaving Dimitri the only one still standing, facing Oliver, a look of fear in his eyes. Oliver maintained eye contact with Dimitri and could see the wheels turning slowly, but effectively in the frightened man's brain. It made Oliver let loose a slight chuckle and take several more steps closer to Dimitri, until he was standing directly in front of the once brave man. 

Dimitri held up both hands and said, "I meant no disrespect, Captain. I was merely..."

Oliver interrupted the man and said in a low, firm voice, "Choose your words wisely, Dimitri. My wife is particularly fond of the Aubusson rug laying beneath your feet."

Dimitri took a quick look down at the rug and said, "Forgive me, Captain. Of course the Pakhan is only doing what he thinks is best. Who are we to question his actions?" Dimitri bowed slightly in submission and then quickly took several steps back and sat down in his chair.

Oliver, no longer smiling, looked around the room and asked, "Does anyone else wish to make a comment about the motives or actions of the Pakhan while he resides under my roof?" Oliver saw each man quickly shake their heads no and mutter, "No, Captain."   
He nodded his head once and replied, "Good." He walked back to his desk and sat down. "Now that this is out of the way, you will each go back to your respective territory and wait for my further instructions. With my wife's success at bypassing the regular contracting and purchasing process for government, our legitimate businesses stand to receive a great boon in business." The men in the room began to smile. Oliver could see them already counting the money they stand to make once their construction companies were chosen to rebuild the public infrastructure damaged by Damien Darhk. Oliver continued, "The City will be issuing several construction contracts to our companies which means not only an opportunity for each of you to make a lot of money, but a chance for your family members and those you protect to earn a good living helping to rebuild my city." Oliver smiled and added, "But make sure that whatever work you are given is done correctly and to the best of your ability. If I find out that any of you cut corners, pinched pennies or used shoddy materials or workmanship in this infrastructure rebuild, you will answer to me." Oliver looked each man in the eyes and asked, "Do you understand?"

Each man stated firmly, "Yes, Captain." 

Oliver nodded his head again and then dismissed the men from his home office. Once the men had left, Peter Dashkin walked into his office. Oliver looked up in surprise. "Dashkin, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I received a text from you asking me to report immediately to you here at the house," Peter replied. "I dropped Mrs. Queen and Agent Torres off at Palmer Technologies for the Board meeting this morning and came straight here. There was a bit of traffic or else I would have been here sooner."

Oliver tilted his head to the side and said, "I never sent you a text, Peter." Oliver looked down at his phone and he immediately dialed Felicity's phone number. The phone rang a few times before going to voicemail. Every part of Oliver's body tingled in dread.   
Felicity was never more than a few feet away from her phone at any given time. He looked up at Peter and said, "I have a bad feeling about this." Peter nodded his head in agreement and both men rushed out of the house, jumped into the waiting SUV and headed back into downtown Star City.

As the ladies made their way into the Palmer Technologies building that morning, Felicity and Agent Torres stopped at the security guard booth and obtained their Visitor's Badges for the Board meeting. She smiled at the security guard, who was unfamiliar to her, but at least friendly. He had asked to see both women's identification before issuing their badges and then asked if they needed any help finding the board room. Felicity smiled at the kind gentlemen and shook her head no, "I know where it is," she replied. Felicity handed the badge to Agent Torres and the ladies made their way to the bank of elevators in the middle of the building's lobby. Felicity and Agent Torres made their way up to the Boardroom next to her former office at Palmer Tech. Once in the Boardroom, Felicity walked around and shook various Board members hands in greetings and to also thank them again for their support of Oliver's mayoral campaign. She also took the opportunity to introduce CC as her current assistant in the Mayor's Office. 

Mr. Dennis took the opportunity to walk over to Felicity and say, "Thank you Mrs. Queen for joining us today." He turned to look at Agent Torres and said, "I'm sorry, Miss, but this meeting is for our Board members only."

Felicity looked at Mr. Dennis and replied, "We've always allowed our personal assistants to sit in on our Board meetings in the past, why is today any different?"

Mr. Dennis answered, "I'm sorry Mrs. Queen if Miss Patterson was not clear with her instructions regarding today's meeting. We are going to be reviewing highly confidential and proprietary matters today and no one is allowed in this room unless they are a member of the Board of Directors or directly employed by Palmer Tech."

Agent Torres looked at Felicity and said, "It's okay, Mrs. Queen. I'll just go ahead and wait for you just outside the room in the chairs by the elevator. I've got several reports from the Public Works department to review and comment on this morning for our team at City Hall."

Felicity nodded her head, still unconvinced that something wasn't up with this sudden showing of secrecy on the part of Mr. Dennis. As Agent Torres departed the room for the outer chamber, Felicity made her way to her assigned seat at the table and sat down. 

Mr. Dennis soon called the meeting to order. The first few hours of the meeting flew by as the Board discussed the recent financial statements. The new power cell Felicity had announced to much fanfare several months ago had not sold as well as everyone had hoped. The multimillion dollar marketing campaign that coincided with its launch had been drowned out by the recent catastrophic events. No one was interested in the new battery when so many were merely trying to survive the aftermath of the death and destruction that had occurred. 

Felicity felt a cold shiver go down her spine. She didn't need any reminders as to what exactly had happened. She had had a front row seat to everything. Felicity sat in her chair, carried away by thoughts of all that had happened at the end of May. She didn't hear when Mr. Dennis called out her name, "Mrs. Queen? Mrs. Queen?...Felicity?"

"What?" Felicity responded more terse than she had wanted. "I'm sorry. What was the question?" she asked.

Mr. Dennis pursed his lips together in frustration. "Mrs. Queen, I was asking..." A loud crash outside the Boardroom drew everyone's attention. Felicity turned her head towards the conference room door when it slammed open and two masked gunmen entered the room. Agent Torres, obviously in a lot of pain, was held by them with her arms behind her back, then they shoved her inside the room. Felicity ran over to CC to check on her as two more men followed into the room, their guns held high, their black masks completely covering their faces. The men took up positions in each corner of the room. Once they were in position, the man who had shoved CC in the room spoke into his comm unit in Russian.

Felicity looked down at CC who looked up at Felicity, shook her head no and whispered, "Don't say a word."

Another man entered into the room. He was tall, broad shouldered and carried himself with an air of confidence and determination. He had a familiar look to him, but Felicity couldn't place a name to his face at all. The man walked over to where Felicity sat next to Agent Torres and said, "Mrs. Queen, it is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Felicity tilted her head to the side and replied, "It appears that you have me at a disadvantage, sir, as I do not know who you are."

The man smiled and said, "Ah, yes, forgive me please. I thought perhaps the family resemblance would have been strong enough, but alas, my nose has been broken perhaps one too many times." The man gave her a slight bow and said, "I am Gavriil Asimov. I believe that you recently beat my brother in cards, no?"

Felicity sat back and looked up at the man. Fyodor Asimov's brother looking for revenge, she thought to herself. Felicity replied, "What do you want?"

Mr. Dennis stood up from his chair and demanded, "I don't know who you are Mr. Asimov, but this is Palmer Technologies and you cannot barge in here and threaten..."

Asimov's man closest to Mr. Dennis hit him in the back of his head with his gun causing Mr. Dennis to collapse in a heap on the floor. The rest of the board members sat there in stunned silence. Gavriil said, "Let that be a lesson to all of you." He looked at everyone still sitting at the table. "Do not say a word and you may survive this."

Felicity looked around her. Her phone was still in her purse and her tablet was there on the table by where she had been sitting. Agent Torres winced as she grabbed Felicity's arm and shook her head no, trying to discourage Felicity from doing anything foolish.   
Just then her cell phone rang from within her purse. Felicity's eyes darted over to her chair and Gavriil caught the direction her gaze had moved to in the room. He walked over to her chair picked up her purse and grabbed her cell phone to see Oliver's smiling face looking out from the phone. Gavriil dropped the phone and smashed it with the heel of his shoe. He looked up at Felicity and said, "Perhaps Mr. Queen will come and join us?"

Felicity looked around the room at the scared Board members huddled in their chairs trying not to make eye contact with anyone. She needed to figure out a way to get out of this mess and make sure that the rest of the Board Members stayed safe. She looked at Gavriil and said, "Why don't you let the rest of the Board Members leave and you and I can continue this conversation over a game of cards?"

Gavriil frowned and walked over to Felicity. He grabbed her by her ponytail and jerked her up from where she was sitting. Agent Torres tried to defend Felicity, but Gavriil struck her across the face, causing her to fall limp at Felicity's feet. Felicity glanced down quickly to see Agent Torres lying there, a bruise was starting to form along CC's cheek and a welt from where Gavriil's ring had torn the tender flesh underneath her left eye was turning red and starting to slowly ooze blood. Gavriil turned his attention back to   
Felicity and said, "Your parlor tricks will not work on me, Mrs. Queen." He gave her body a look up and down and added, "But I may see what other tricks you may have learned before your husband gets here."

Felicity gasped in horror and tried to push herself out of Gavriil's clutches. The Board Members looked away and Gavriil pulled Felicity in closer to him. He whispered to her, "The Bratva prefers to handle any disputes within the Brotherhood quietly and quickly.   
But your Husband's public humiliation of my brother in front of the Pakhan and the rest of the regional leadership demanded retribution." 

Felicity replied tersely, "You don't need these people here to exact your revenge, Gavriil. Let them go and then you and I can come to terms with this so-called retribution you are wanting."

Gavriil gave her a mocking laugh. "Trying to bargain for these people's lives is a lesson for you in futility, Mrs. Queen. No one is going anywhere, until you admit that you cheated my brother at cards," he told her.

Felicity looked at the man who still held her in a vise-like grip that no doubt would leave deep purple bruises. "No self-respecting Vegas girl is going to let just anyone beat her at cards, Gavriil," she replied with her head held high. Felicity took a quick look around the room and continued, "You don't need these people here to try and bear witness to whatever it is you have planned."

Gavriil smiled evilly and said, "Oh, but I do Mrs. Queen." He looked around the room and continued, "You see I'm here to kill two birds with one stone and I have wicked aim." He set Felicity back down on the ground and released her from his grasp.

Felicity took a step back and looked at him with questioning eyes. What was this man up to, she wondered. Think Felicity, why does he need an audience for whatever it is he's going to do? She looked around the conference table and saw the stark terror emanating from each Board Member's eyes. She turned her head to see Agent Torres gently cradling her right arm which she held at an odd looking angle. Agent Torres mouthed to her "dislocated" and winced as she tried to stand up and move toward Felicity.   
Instead, Felicity held up both hands and motioned for CC to stay where she was. Felicity turned back around to face Gavriil.

He continued to grin back at her and asked, "Haven't figured it out yet, Mrs. Queen?" Then he tsked, tsked her and continued, "I must admit to being somewhat disappointed. Rumor has it that you are some sort of genius. Perhaps, all your time with Oliver Queen has made you dull-witted?" He turned his back on her and said, "No matter. My plan will soon come to fruition anyway." Gavriil walked over to one of his men and said something in Russian to him. The man walked over to where Miss Patterson sat, grabbed her and pushed her out of the room.

Felicity began to protest, when Gavriil held up his hand and shook his head no. "You are in no position to say anything, Mrs. Queen." Then he looked around the room and said to everyone, "Let us see how quickly your Oliver Queen comes to rescue you all once your little secretary gives him my message."

Felicity looked at Gavriil in shock. Did he know that Oliver was the Green Arrow? Or is he just trying to bait me into doing something? Felicity replied, "Mayor Queen will send in the finest Star City police officers to deal with you, Gavriil."

Gavriil scoffed at her words and answered, "Oh, how unfortunate for you all." He walked back over to where Felicity sat next to CC and said, "Oliver Queen has one hour to get here and meet my demands or I will eliminate each member of the Board two at a time." He smiled, leaned down to Felicity and whispered, "Do you wish to bet against the House, Princess?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we will find out how Oliver responds to his wife being held hostage...
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! :-)


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Oliver and Peter to the rescue...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> There is a lovely piece of artwork by VictoriaOlicity to accompany this story that can be found on my tumblr page.   
> Thank you VictoriaOlicity!  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Oliver drove as fast as he could to the Palmer Technologies building while Peter alternately yelled and growled in Russian on his phone, directing his men to make sure they were on high alert while protecting Anatoli and Katya, but to also order five of his best shots to meet them at their destination. 

Oliver heard Peter barking out his orders, but his only thoughts were of what could be happening with Felicity at this very moment. He didn't want to allow himself to think morbidly, but he knew that the worst was definitely a possibility. He hoped Agent Torres was as good as Lyla insisted that she was, because right now, she was Felicity's only means of protection. 

When Peter finished his call, he turned to Oliver and said, "My man on the inside pulled up the camera feeds to the Board of Directors' Conference Room. If I hadn't alerted him to check on the meeting, they wouldn't even know that there was a problem."

Oliver snuck a quick look at Peter and asked, "What did he see?"

Peter replied, "There are four masked men with military assault rifles posted in each corner of the room. Their presumptive leader isn't wearing a mask at all, almost as if he's taunting us with his identity."

Oliver gripped the steering wheel tighter as he drove. He asked with a growl, "Who is it?"

Peter replied, "Gavriil Asimov, brother to Fyodor Asimov."

Oliver swore, then took the turn a little harder than necessary. Asimov is taking out his anger at him for the beating he gave Fyodor at the dinner party after he tried to attack Felicity in their home. Well, if he’s fool enough to attack my wife in public, then he and his followers will pay the price, Oliver thought to himself. "Where was Felicity when your inside man saw what was happening in the conference room?"

Peter’s eyes hardened like steel and replied coolly, "She was crouched on the floor next to Agent Torres." 

Oliver drove even faster towards their destination. He said, "There's a basement entrance into Palmer Tech that will lead us to a secret elevator that won't get us all the way to the top floor, but at least it will get us to three floors below the conference room."

Peter nodded his head and replied, "My men are enroute and will meet us there."

Oliver acknowledged him and said, "Have them enter the building via the loading dock at the back, then take the service elevator and meet us on the top floor." Oliver paused for a moment, pursed his lips and said, "The priority is to make sure that we get everyone out alive."

Peter shook his head no and said, "I'm sorry, Captain, but the priority is to get the Princess out alive. Everyone else is collateral damage."

Oliver shook his head in disagreement, "Felicity expects us to get as many of the Board members and any other innocents out alive, Dashkin.” Oliver paused for a moment. He knew what Felicity’s wishes would be. Hadn’t she told him on more than one occasion that she knew the danger they faced on a daily basis? He continued, “She understands the risks involved. She chose this life and I have to respect her choices..."

Peter opened his mouth to disagree, when Oliver gave him a glare that stopped him and made him re-think what he was about to say. Instead he answered, "I know how to follow orders, Sir."

Oliver nodded his head and quickly parked their vehicle a block away from the building. He didn’t hear sirens yet, so they still had some time before the Police would get there. They exited their vehicle and Peter grabbed a large gym bag out of the back and tossed it to Oliver. Then Peter lifted out a similar bag for himself as well. Both men ran as fast as they could into the area below the building that had once been Oliver's former bunker. Peter made no mention of what he saw there and followed Oliver to the secret elevator. As they rode the elevator up to their destination, they opened the bag and found bullet-proof vests, knock-out gas canisters, gas masks, assorted weapons with silencers, knives and extra ammunition. 

Oliver looked up from the bag at Peter and asked, “Do you always carry this stuff around?”

Peter grinned and quipped, “Only since I came to Star City.” Then he asked, "I take it you have a plan?" 

Oliver kept his eyes focused on loading ammunition and placing the extra cartridges in his vest’s pockets and replied, "I'm working on it..."

“Care to enlighten me?” Peter replied with a smirk.

Oliver answered, “Asimov will likely have more men guarding the stairwells leading up to the Executive Floor. We will take the ones out in the Northwest corner first. That’s the stairwell closest to the conference room. Have your men take the opposite stairwell and we will meet at the elevator bay on the Executive Floor. It doesn’t face the conference room, so we should be undetected a little longer and maintain our element of surprise.” Oliver reached down and then tossed two cans of gas to Peter. “Your men have masks, correct?”

Peter nodded his head yes.

“Good,” replied Oliver. “We’ll use the gas to knock out the hostages, take out Asimov’s men, then you’ll grab Asimov and take him back to the house for interrogation.” Oliver looked directly into Peter’s eyes and added, “I want him alive and I will personally interrogate him myself.” Oliver paused for a moment expecting Peter to agree right away. When Peter didn’t answer, Oliver reached out and grabbed the man’s shoulder and said, “Do YOU understand?”

Peter shrugged his arm away from Oliver and replied, “I heard you the first time, Captain. I just happen to think that the interrogation should be done by me and not you.” Peter moved his head from side-to-side, allowing his neck to crack and continued, “The Pakhan will expect you…”

Oliver interrupted Peter and said, “The Pakhan expects me to protect my family and my home. Since Asimov thinks he has a grudge against my family, I will be more than happy to find out why he had to act in such a manner.”

Dashkin looked at Oliver appraisingly then nodded his head in agreement and called his team to give them their orders. His men were already inside the building and making their way to the Executive Floor. By the time they had arrived at their destination,   
Peter exited the elevator first and then gave the all clear signal. Both men made their way to the emergency stairs and encountered two men who were serving as lookouts. Peter quickly dispatched the two men and they made their way to the top floor. Peter again took the point and led the way out onto the Executive Floor. His men had dispatched the guards in their stairwell and were waiting for them at the Elevator landing. 

Through a variety of hand signals, everyone put on their masks and then one of Peter’s men deployed the gas canisters through the ventilation shaft in the room next to the conference room. They heard bodies begin to drop and they stormed into the conference room, guns drawn. A firefight ensued, but Peter’s men were obviously better trained and were able to quickly take out Asimov’s men. When the shooting stopped, Oliver and Peter saw that standing with gas masks on were Felicity being held in front of Asimov as a shield. The Board Members were all slouched on the floor, knocked out from the gas.

Oliver moved to stand in front of their men, while Peter crouched down next to CC and checked for a pulse. He gave Oliver a thumb’s up, but turned to Asimov with anger and motioned for his men to take up positions preventing Asimov from exiting the room.   
Peter stood up and placed himself between Asimov and a passed-out CC.

As the gas dissipated, Oliver faced off with Asimov and said through his mask, “Let her go, Asimov.”

Asimov tugged Felicity closer to him, pressing the gun in his hand to the side of her head, his back to the window and taunted Oliver, “I think the Princess likes being in the arms of a real man, Captain.”

Oliver went to lunge at Asimov, but Peter grabbed him from behind and said, "Not yet, Captain."

"Listen to your lap dog, Queen," scoffed Gavriil. He then tightened his grip on Felicity until she winced in pain. 

Felicity struggled in Asimov’s grasp and said, "Save the Board, Oliver." She glanced toward the table and said, "You know what you need to do." Come on, Oliver, she thought, you know you need to save the people passed out on the floor. Her eyes began to plead with Oliver.

He knew what she was trying to tell him without saying a word, thought Oliver. His ray of light was willing to let herself be extinguished to save everyone in the room, including himself. But he knew that there was no way he could let that happen once he saw her in the clutches of Asimov. He needed to keep Asimov talking and find a way to get her away from him. Then, he could whisk Asimov away for questioning. There had to be more to his reasoning for coming after his wife in such a public manner than just a grudge against him for what he had done to his brother. Could Asimov be working with whomever was trying to kill Felicity?

Felicity could sense that Oliver was considering risking everyone else's life to protect her. She couldn't let that happen. Hadn't she already caused enough death and destruction in her short lifetime? She looked at Oliver and knew she still had wrongs she must atone for, her penance must be served. She knew exactly what she needed to do. 

Oliver saw Felicity's face change from fear to determination in an instant. Before he could react, Felicity lifted up her right leg and stomped her heel as hard as she could down into Asimov's foot. Asimov jerked her body to the side. The glass shattered behind him and he fell forward, blood trickling down from the small gaping hole in the middle of his forehead.

Oliver rushed forward, removed his mask to check on Felicity, then turned around to face Peter and yelled, “What the hell was that? I said I wanted to interrogate him!”

Peter removed his mask, stood tall and replied, “That was me following orders, Sir.” He pointed at the roof of the building across the street. He continued, "There was my other sharpshooter waiting for a clean shot. He saw it and took it."

Oliver took a step toward Peter, bringing Felicity with him, as she removed her mask, and demanded, “On whose orders?”

Peter answered succinctly, “The Pakhan.” He looked at Felicity and continued, “The Pakhan was very clear to me that the Princess’s life mattered above all others, even yours, Captain.” 

Oliver was about to reply, when they heard sirens in the distance heading their way.

Peter then added, “We should probably continue this conversation back at your home or else we will have to do even more explaining as to why the Mayor of Star City lead a commando team into rescue his wife.”

Oliver, still angry but knowing that Dashkin was right, turned to Felicity and said, “Baby, I have to leave, but I’ll be downstairs waiting for you to come down.”

Felicity looked up at Oliver, nodded her head in agreement and said quietly, “I understand, Oliver.” She looked at Peter and the rest of his men and said simply, “Thank you.”

Peter nodded his head in acknowledgment, then crouched down and tenderly brushed the hair out of CC’s face and then grimaced when he saw her dislocated shoulder.

Felicity looked at Peter and Oliver and said, “I know what I have to do and how to act once the police get up here.” She gave Oliver another hug, tugging his head down toward her and whispered in his ear, “You guys head downstairs and I’ll see you once they’ve ‘rescued’ us.”

Peter’s phone vibrated and he answered it. He spoke quickly in Russian angrily, then looked at Oliver. “There’s been an attack on the Pakhan at your house.”

Oliver and Felicity both gasped. Oliver pulled Felicity in tighter to him and asked, “Are Anatoli and Katya okay? Did anyone get hurt?”

Peter nodded his head, “My men managed to capture one of the attackers and are holding him prisoner for questioning.”

“Good,” replied Oliver. “I want to question him myself.” He glared at Dashkin and added for emphasis, “Do you understand me?”

Peter gave Oliver a slight bow and said, “Yes, Captain.”

Oliver gave him a quick nod of the head and then kissed Felicity on the lips, before he, Peter and their men left the room. Once they were back downstairs, Peter directed his men to head back to Avalon in case a second attack was eminent. Then he and Oliver drove around to the front of Palmer Tech where Oliver assumed his Mayor persona and headed straight for the Police Chief to ‘find out what had happened’, Peter following his lead.

The Police Chief informed Oliver and Peter that the Board Secretary had come down to the Security Guard Station frantically babbling about the Palmer Tech Board of Directors being held hostage by a mad man who was targeting Deputy Mayor Queen. He let   
Oliver know that Security alerted the police and they were getting ready to send up a S.W.A.T. team to handle the situation.

Oliver demanded that he be kept in the loop on what they found and that he wanted to make sure that everyone was rescued as soon as possible. The Police Chief reassured Oliver that they were doing everything that they could and that as soon as he knew more, he would let him know. Oliver replied gravely, “See that you do.” The Police Chief saw that Oliver’s concern about Felicity’s and the rest of the people inside the building’s well-being was genuine and nodded his head in approval.

Oliver stood back and spoke to Peter, "We are not through with our discussion about whose orders you follow when it comes to my wife, Dashkin."

Peter tilted his head, cocked up one eyebrow and responded quietly, "My orders came straight from Anatoly Knyasev. The only other person who I will allow to contradict his orders is now your wife and even then, only if I believe it to be the right move."

Oliver was about to respond when a television crew and reporter from Channel 52 headed his way wanting an interview. Peter stepped away and Oliver turned around to answer the reporters questions. 

The Police Chief ran back over to where Oliver was and told the news crew that a press conference would be held shortly, but that the Mayor was needed at that moment. 

Oliver followed the Police Chief and saw that the S.W.A.T. was leading Felicity, CC and the rest of the Palmer Tech Board of Directors out of the building. Oliver ran over to Felicity and wrapped his arms around her. Felicity winced when Oliver put too much pressure on her right arm and he whispered, "Are you okay?" in her ear. 

Felicity shook her head and gently lifted the blanket that had been draped around her shoulders and showed him that her arms had bruises that looked like palm prints from where Asimov had man-handled her. Oliver waived over one of the Emergency Medical   
Technicians to take a look at Felicity's arm. The EMT recommended she get her arm x-rayed to make sure it wasn't fractured. Then they noticed that both Mr. Dennis and CC were being loaded in an ambulance and taken to the hospital. Oliver let the Police   
Chief know that he would be taking Felicity to the hospital to have her arm checked out and that they could interview her tomorrow after she had a moment to rest. The Police Chief looked like he was ready to protest, but saw that the Mayor would not relent   
and merely nodded his head in agreement.

Peter led Oliver and Felicity to their waiting vehicle and drove straight to the hospital. Each one sitting in silence, allowing their own personal thoughts about the days events play back over and over in their heads. 

Felicity leaned further into Oliver, craving the warmth of his body. Was Asimov merely out to right his perceived wrong that Oliver had inflicted upon his brother and his family name, wondered Felicity. What other wrongs have happened that they would have to atone for, she thought. Were there any other old debts or markers that were going to get called? Will we constantly have to be vigilant to make sure they did not slight anyone again?

Oliver tucked Felicity into his side. He gently wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. Was Asimov working with the person trying to kill Felicity and used the cover of revenge to go after her, wondered Oliver. He looked at Peter in the driver's seat and wasn't used to anyone under his command in the Bratva disobeying his command and it angered him. He knew that if he complained to Anatoly, it would make him appear insubordinate and that was the last thing he needed right now. He needed the Bratva's help in keeping his wife safe and Peter had proven that his loyalty was to his wife and Anatoly. How could he not trust this man, he wondered. Then he thought to himself, could Anatoly making Felicity his heir and the person trying to kill his wife have a connection? 

"We're here now, Princess," said Peter, breaking the couple out of their thoughts. "I'll drop you off at the Emergency Room, then park the car and join you inside." Peter hopped out of the vehicle, opened the door and assisted Felicity out of the vehicle and waited for Oliver to come to her side and help her into the Emergency Room.

Felicity smiled at Peter and said, "Thank you."

Peter nodded his head, gave her a slight bow and replied, "Of course, Princess." Then he turned to Oliver and said simply, "Captain."

Oliver nodded and led his wife into the hospital to get her evaluated. All other thoughts of reasons and rationale for what had happened went by the wayside. Right now, the focus needed to be on getting Felicity looked at first. Then, once given the all clear, they would work together to solve this mystery that was getting murkier and murkier each day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm headed off for a few days to enjoy the long weekend with my family in Santa Barbara so my next update likely won't be until next week.  
> We have the mayoral debates coming up soon and then the election after that...and of course solving the mystery of who is after Felicity Smoak Queen...
> 
> Thank you for reading! :-)


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Felicity and Oliver have a talk about family. Katya talks with Felicity about the Bratva.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Thirty

Felicity sat there in the examination room waiting for her x-ray results. There had been a brief moment before the x-ray, when the radiologist asked if she was pregnant. It made Felicity pause. She couldn't remember when she had her last cycle. A pregnancy test was ordered and once they had determined that she wasn't, went ahead with the procedure. For a moment, Felicity could see her belly growing with her and Oliver's child. She had smiled thinking about a little boy with his father's eyes shining back at her.   
Then in her mind's eye, she saw all the different villains that had threatened her life, some on more than one occasion. 

What sort of life would they be able to give that child, she wondered. She was having a difficult time enough as it was trying balance the various aspects of their lives. Could they handle a fourth one as parents? They hadn't even been able to handle a proper night of being the Green Arrow and Overwatch in weeks, yet she had allowed her mind to wander into parenthood. Now, with another threat against her life, what would they do if she really was pregnant? Were they ready? Would they ever really be ready? 

Thank goodness Oliver had been outside speaking with Peter about Agent Torres condition, she thought. What would he think about this? They hadn't spoken about starting a family since before the Darhk times, she remembered. They had that awkward conversation about children in Ivy Town at brunch with the Robinson's and hadn't mentioned it again since. Had they not mentioned it again because of the life they were choosing to lead now? Oliver sent his son, William, away to protect him. Is that what he would expect her to do if she got pregnant? Felicity frowned and thought, well, if that's what he thinks, he definitely has another thing coming...

Oliver re-entered Felicity's hospital room quietly and saw the frown on her face. He knew that frown. It was the frown she got when he had done something wrong. He took a tentative step toward her and simply said, "I'm sorry."

Surprised, Felicity looked up at him and asked, "Hmm?"

Oliver walked slowly over to her and repeated himself, "I'm sorry."

Felicity shook her head gently and asked, "What are you sorry for?"

"Whatever I did to make your smile go away," he answered truthfully.

Felicity smiled up at him, patted the side of her bed for him to sit and then reached to hold his hand in hers. "Oliver..."

There was a slight knock on her door and the on-duty ER doctor stepped in with the results of her x-rays. The doctor let them know that she had no fractures on her arms and that she would release Felicity to go home, provided that she rest for at least a few days and not go back to the office until Monday. Felicity agreed to follow the doctor's orders then she asked, "How is CC Torres doing?"

The ER doctor replied, "Ms. Torres is going to have spend the night under observation. You can go check up on her now. They just moved her to the fourth floor." The doctor then scribbled something on Felicity's chart, looked back up at her and added, "The nurse will be here in a moment with your discharge paperwork and a prescription for pain medication."

Felicity smiled at the doctor and said, "Thank you."

The doctor nodded her head and left the room. Oliver turned to look at Felicity and said, "You were saying..."

Felicity shrugged her shoulders. She didn't want to talk to him right now about children. They had so much on their plate, it simply didn't seem like the right time. She smiled and said, "I just want to go check on CC and then get home to make sure Katya and Anatoli are okay."

Oliver looked at her and instinctively knew that she was holding something else back from him. He could push her to tell him, but also knew that when she was ready she would let him know. He nodded his head at her and whispered, "Okay." 

Felicity looked at him and knew she needed to tell him her thoughts, whether the timing was right or not. "I should let you know that I'm not pregnant," she said.

Oliver raised both eyebrows at her statement and asked quietly, "Did you think that you were?"

Felicity shook her head no. "No...but when the radiologists came in and started talking to me about the x-ray, he asked if I was pregnant and I couldn't remember when I had my last period and then all I could see was a little boy with the bluest eyes looking   
back at me and it made me smile and next I thought about the constant danger our lives were in by the villain of the day and how complicated our lives have gotten between our nightly activities, which by the way we haven't even had time for, let alone our day   
jobs at City Hall and now the fact that we're basically leading the American Branch of the Russian Mob..."

Oliver interrupted her by taking his hand to cup her face and said, "I know that we haven't spoken about children since..., well since before everything that happened..." Oliver paused and reached for her left hand and began twisting her wedding rings under his fingertips and said, "But I hope you know that if we are so lucky as to have a child, that child would be our beacon of hope." Oliver raised her hand to his lips and kissed it gently and said, "And if that day comes this year, in five years or whenever, we will be ready."

Felicity looked down at their joined hands and asked solemnly, "What makes you so sure?"

Oliver lifted her chin up so that he could look into her crystal blue eyes and said, "Because that child will be the best of both of us and will grow on the foundation of our love and commitment to each other." Oliver leaned over and kissed Felicity on the lips tenderly.

Felicity sighed into him, allowing a small tear to escape down her cheek. "I love you, Oliver Queen," she confessed willingly.

Oliver smiled back at her and replied, "I love you, Felicity Smoak Queen."

A discreet cough from the doorway caught their attention. The nurse entered with the discharge paperwork and prescription for pain relief for Felicity. Once all the documentation had been signed, she directed them both to CC's room so that they could go and check on her. Upon arriving at Agent Torres' hospital room, they saw Agent Dashkin standing outside her room like a roman sentry, not allowing anyone to pass. 

Felicity reached out her hand to Peter and said, "Thank you for helping to save our lives."

Peter looked at Oliver first, who nodded his head, then he took Felicity's offered hand gently and said quietly, "No thanks are needed, Princess." He looked over his shoulder into Agent Torres' room, frowned and continued, "I failed you by not being be there in the first place. Had I been there, no one would be hurt right now."

Felicity placed her hand on Peter's arm and said, "What matters is that you were able to help my husband rescue us and for that I thank you."

Peter looked back at Felicity and nodded his head, then he looked at Oliver and said, "When you are ready, I will drive you back to Avalon."

Oliver lifted his chin and asked, "How is Ms. Torres doing?"

Peter looked back at CC through the window on her hospital room door. "The doctor is concerned because her shoulder was pretty badly dislocated. They were able to reset the joint and are hoping that she won't have to have surgery to repair any torn ligaments. They're keeping her overnight just as a precaution."

Felicity asked, "Have you spoken to her yet?"

Peter shook his head no. "I didn't think she would want to see me right now."

Felicity frowned, looked up at Oliver quickly, then slipped her arm into Peter's and said while pushing the hospital room door open, "Let's go check on her now, then." Felicity guided Peter into the room, with Oliver directly behind them. 

CC opened her eyes and saw that she had company. She gave her visitors a toothy smile and said, "Sorry, the pain meds they've given me are making me feel like I'm floating like a helium balloon."

Felicity giggled slightly and replied, "We won't keep you awake then, CC. We just wanted to come in and check on you to make sure that you were doing okay."

CC looked at Peter and asked, "Is Growly McGrowlface going to stand there all night with a growly look on his face or is he going to ask me how I am doing?"

It was Oliver's turn to laugh and then get quiet when Felicity turned and gave him her unhappy look. 

Peter stepped forward and said in a gentle voice, "How are you doing little one?"

CC smiled, closed her eyes, yawned and replied, "I'm tired and was hoping someone would stay with me until I was able to fall asleep."

Felicity looked at Peter and said, "Oliver can drive us home, Peter. Why don't you stay and keep CC company. We will send a car back for you when you're ready."

"Thank you, Princess," Peter replied, "I would like to stay with her tonight to make sure she is okay." Then he looked at Oliver and said, "Captain?"

Oliver nodded his head in agreement and answered, "Stay as long as you need to, Dashkin. I'll get us home." Oliver looked at Peter with a strong, stern gaze that told him he would be questioning their prisoner tonight. 

Peter simply nodded his head, tossed Oliver the keys to the SUV and replied, "I will be back first thing in the morning. I parked the car out by the hospital loading dock."

Oliver smiled and then he and Felicity left Agent Torres' room. They made their way to the loading dock and saw where the vehicle was parked. Once inside, Oliver helped Felicity strap on her seat belt and they made their way home, both lost in their thoughts of what was going to happen next. Oliver called ahead to alert Raisa and the guards about their eminent arrival. As they pulled up to the gates, they were ushered in quickly and Oliver drove around to the back side where the garage was located. He helped   
Felicity unstrap her seat belt and then they walked into the kitchen where Raisa was waiting for them. She insisted that Felicity head upstairs to rest and that she would bring her up a light dinner tray for her to eat. Felicity thanked the older woman and said that   
they needed to first go check on Katya and Anatoli. 

Oliver and Felicity made their way to the older couple's room and found Katya sitting up in bed reading a book with Anatoli next to her reading the newspaper. Both looking as if nothing had happened earlier to disturb Katya's recovery. 

Anatoli got up from the bed and walked over to Felicity to give her a hug. Felicity winced while he wrapped his arms around her and he immediately dropped his arms and looked at Oliver. "You have taken care of the person responsible for this?"

"He has been dealt with," was Oliver's response.

Anatoli nodded his head and said, "Good." Then he smiled at Felicity and said, "Little One, sit with Katya and keep her company for me. Maybe you can convince her to let me do the Crossword puzzle by myself, yes?"

Felicity knew when she was being dismissed and didn't like it. She flashed Oliver a side-eye look and he gave her a pleading look in return. Felicity gave Anatoli a sarcastic smile and replied, "Of course, Anatoli. Katya and I have much to discuss and we do not need either of you around to interfere with our plans."

Anatoli smiled at Felicity, thinking all was well, while Oliver frowned, knowing that Felicity was up to something with Katya.

Katya looked up from her book at the trio and said, "Go on you two," as she waved them out of her room. "Felicity and I need to talk."

Oliver and Anatoli left Katya's room and closed the door.

Katya spoke, "Good, now that they are gone, you can tell me what happened earlier."

Felicity walked over to Katya's bed and sat in the chair next to her. 

Katya shook her head and then patted the bedside next to her.

Felicity moved out of the chair and gently climbed into bed next to the older woman. She sat down facing her.

Once comfortable, Katya reiterated, "Tell me what happened, Felicity."

Felicity took in a deep breath and said, "It was Asimov's brother. He took the Palmer Tech Board hostage and wanted revenge for what happened to his brother in our home during the dinner party."

Katya pursed her lips and said, "That fool got what he deserved in the end I understand, no?"

Felicity shrugged her shoulders and replied, "If you mean he was killed, yes. I just wish we had the opportunity to question him about why he did it." Felicity paused for a moment and then continued, "I mean, yes his brother lost at cards to me and I guess   
losing to a woman is probably emasculating in the Brotherhood, but what I am still trying to wrap my head around is something that he said."

Katya leaned forward and looked directly at Felicity. She asked, "What...did he say?"

Felicity looked a Katya for a moment. She hadn't even told Oliver yet about Gavriil's comment to her. Perhaps, Katya will help me decipher his hidden meaning in what he said to me, she thought. "He said that he was planning on killing two birds with one stone and that he had wicked aim." Felicity searched Katya's face and body language to gauge her reaction to Gavriil's statement. When she saw none, she thought that perhaps she was reading too much into his comment.

Katya spoke up and said, "We need to make sure that you and Oliver both have increased protection now, my dear." She moved her book from her lap and placed it on her bedside table, then said, "I fear that Gavriil's attempt on your life may have emboldened other members of the Brotherhood who are upset with our decision to name you our heir. I think they are planning a coup." 

"I never wanted to be your heir, Katya," Felicity spoke truthfully.

"I know Little One," Katya replied. "But our options were limited and once I met you, I knew that you were our only option, Felicity." Katya reached for Felicity's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm just sorry that my illness had forced our timetable faster than I had hoped."

Felicity looked at Katya with concern. "I thought with the new treatment regimen, your cancer would soon be in remission?"

"The doctors seem to think so," Katya sighed. "However, I think my body is finally beginning to tire of all the poking and prodding I have had to endure over the past several months."

"I know that we haven't known each other for very long, Katya, but I don't want you to go anywhere," Felicity admitted.

Katya smiled and said, "I don't want to go anywhere either, child, but I simply am not sure how much more my body can take." She opened the drawer on the bedside table and pulled out a large manila envelope to hand to Felicity. "Inside this envelope is a list of everything I could piece together on the local Brotherhood families. Their histories, their alliances through marriage or truces, where the majority of their financial backing comes from and an analysis of their individual weaknesses and proclivities. Read it,   
study it and do your own research on them. You need to know them inside and out to prepare you for your future when Anatoli and I are gone."

"You two aren't going anywhere soon, I hope," Felicity answered.

"We will have to return to Russia soon, my child," Katya replied. "I have agreed to continue with my treatments while back home, but if they do not work..."

"They will work," Felicity interrupted her adamantly.

Katya smiled and continued, "If they do not work, I would prefer to spend my final days in my own home...The home where I took my first breath should also be the home where I take my last."

"What am I going to do without you and Anatoli to guide Oliver and I?" she asked.

Katya smiled at her and said, "You are going to raise a family, strengthening the Brotherhood in ways we never could by expanding here in America and you will ensure that Oliver never allows his inner light to be extinguished." Katya and Felicity sat there for a moment reflecting on their choice of words. Then Katya said, "Now Little One, after all the excitement of today, I feel the need to get some rest as should you."

Felicity shook her head and said, "Oh, frack! I totally forgot to ask you about what happened here earlier."

Katya smiled as she laid back down on her fluffy pillow. "Some men tried to storm the house. Our forces were better trained and repelled them. I heard something about managing to capture someone and then everything in the house got back to normal and I didn't think about it after that."

Felicity gave Katya a strange look and said, "You seem so at ease with everything that happened. How are you able to do that?"

Katya shrugged her shoulders and said, "If I wasn't prepared to handle a threat against my life every now and then, what kind of wife of the Pakhan would that make me, hmm?"

Felicity nodded her head in agreement. Wasn't her life in peril almost every week from one villain or another, she thought. Why would she think anything would be different now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next update may not be until Sunday. I've got family coming for a visit this weekend and will having not as much time to write as normal. Thank you for your patience. :-)


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Oliver gets an opportunity to question the prisoner...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”
> 
> There is a beautiful piece of artwork graciously created by VictoriaOlicity you can see on my Tumblr page.
> 
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Thirty-One

Oliver shut the door after he and Anatoli exited Katya's room. He looked at Anatoli, and saw that rage had replaced concern in his eyes. Oliver understood that anger and was doing all he could to temper his own until he had an opportunity to question the prisoner waiting downstairs.

"We will strike hard against the Asimov family tonight," hissed Anatoli as he and Oliver walked down the hallway toward the stairs leading to the basement. Anatoli stopped walking and looked up at Oliver. "I understand that Gavriil is dead, but that does not mean that the rest of his family will not pay for his betrayal." Anatoli's eyes turned ice cold as he said, "We must send a clear message to the rest of the families that when you target my family, your entire family pays the price..." Anatoli turned away from Oliver and continued walking down the hallway, "I don't want to even think of what would have happened had he succeeded." 

"But he didn't succeed, Sir," Oliver said, "and he's dead." He knew that Felicity would not want an entire family eliminated for the mistakes of one man. Oliver also knew that he needed to learn more about why Gavriil had attacked them so publicly. It didn't make any sense why he would make his move and include the Palmer Tech Board of Directors in his attempt. What would he have hoped to gain by being so blatant with his actions? Why didn't he just wait until they were all together at Avalon to attack everyone at once instead of fragmenting his forces? None of Gavriil's plan from a strategic point of view made sense. He had to have known that he was doomed to fail. The real question now was why did he do it? Oliver continued, "I want to interrogate the prisoner being held in the basement before we make any move."

"The prisoner below is just a boy...a low-life miscreant, Asimov recruited straight from the gutter, probably enticed by a promise of money and a future with his family," Anatoli scoffed. "What information could he possibly have that will alter the Asimov Family's fate, let alone, his own?"

Oliver didn't want to alert Anatoli to his current suspicion that Asimov's actions were linked somehow to the person who had already orchestrated the previous attack on Felicity...and now that he thought about it, maybe even connected to the person who had drugged him and caused the accident that killed the limousine driver. Oliver set his jaw, looked at Anatoli and stressed, "Sir, if the boy wants money, then I will give him money..." 

Anatoli nodded his head slowly, and said, "Go on..."

Oliver stood straighter and continued, "He may have additional information as to what Asimov's plan was or he could have just been an expendable pawn in the diversion attack here at Avalon to try and dilute our forces.... Regardless, I want to find out exactly what he knows." 

"And you think you can make him talk, eh?" replied Anatoli.

Oliver replied, "You know I have my ways..."

"Yes!" Anatoli smiled, slapped Oliver on his back and then continued more soberly, "Yes, I remember." He gave Oliver a questioning look and asked, "The question is do you?" 

Oliver nodded his head yes, although he hoped it would not come to that. He knew that Anatoli was not completely convinced that any further information could be learned from their young prisoner, but he acquiesced to Oliver's request. Both men headed downstairs without further comment.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Oliver saw that the prisoner was tied to a chair, with his head down. Oliver walked over and demanded, "What is your name?"

The prisoner sat there looking down and chuckled. Then he looked up at Oliver. 

Oliver guessed that he couldn't be much older than his sister, Thea. It was hard to tell between the split lip, black eye and blood still oozing from a cut above the kid's left eyebrow.

The boy replied, "What does it matter? You're just going to kill me as soon as I'm done telling you whatever it is you want to know." One of the guards in the room laughed, only to be silenced by the stony look he got from Oliver.

Oliver didn't have to look back to see the expression on Anatoli's face right now. He knew exactly what the older man was thinking at that very moment, that this was an exercise in futility. Oliver replied, "That depends on why you did what you did, kid."

The young man gave Oliver a skeptical look. He continued, "When I heard that there was an opportunity to score a boatload of quick cash by just robbing some rich people, I jumped at the easy mark. Rich people are always making it easy for us enterprising youth to capitalize on their indiscretions."

The kid's speech is eloquent. Perhaps, there is more to his story as he had expected, Oliver thought. Then he asked, "Is that what brought you to my home? The chance to rob me?"

"No," the kid answered quickly. "I didn't know who lived in this place. The last time I was here, it was all boarded up and the joke of a security system was easy to work my way around."

Ah...now we're getting somewhere, Oliver thought. "So you've been here before?" Oliver asked.

"Maybe..." replied the boy tentatively. 

Oliver leaned down and looked the young man straight into his eyes.

The young man gulped and said, "Okay, alright man...you don't need to get all up and into my face." The boy took in a breath and said, "My friends dared me to try and sneak into this spooky old house and see if there was anything here I could make some money off of last month. I searched all over this place and there was nothing here," the boy added with a sneer, "not even a silver spoon for me to find."

Oliver nodded his head for the kid to continue. 

The boy said, "Word on the street was that there was someone looking for information on this here old house, so since I had already searched it top to bottom, I sold what I knew to some crazy Russian dude who then offered me twice the amount he paid me if I would come with his group of men to show them how to get in and out without being seen."

"And did this crazy Russian dude have a name?" asked Oliver.

The kid shook his head yes and replied, "Yeah. Only reason why I remember it is because it was the same name as that science fiction writer my granddad liked to read...Asimov."

Oliver looked over his shoulder at Anatoli, whose face was once again angry. Oliver turned back around to the kid and asked again, "What's your name?"

The kid chuckled and replied, "Noman" sarcastically, as if he was making an inside joke that would be go right over Oliver's head.

Oliver smiled. This kid is definitely smart. Oliver replied, "Well, 'Noman', you can call me Odysseus." 

The kid's eyes grew large with shock.

At least he picked the one book I actually read in college, Oliver thought and continued to smile. "Noman, how about you start telling us everything you know and if it's of any value, I'll pay you for it and also pay for you to leave this town and start somewhere fresh."

"Oliver!" shouted Anatoli.

Oliver turned away from the young man and walked over to where Anatoli stood staring at him in disapproval.

"You are defying my explicit order." He gave a quick nod toward the boy and said, "He has already chosen his side in this and they lost."

Oliver looked at Anatoli and replied, "My intent is not to defy you, Sir. My intent is to gain you an intelligent new recruit for you to mold as you see fit in Russia." Oliver stayed quiet as he watched Anatoli standing there evaluating what he had said. 

"You think just because he happened to drop a literary reference I should agree with you and set him on his own 'Odyssey'?" Anatoli asked.

Oliver turned to look back at 'Noman' and said to Anatoli, "I think that all depends on what we learn from him tonight.

As the questioning continued through the night, it became very apparent that Asimov had completely underestimated the young man. He told Oliver and Anatoli about the location of each meeting he had had with Asimov, including the names of the people who had been in attendance and what their assignments were. He mentioned that Asimov had received two phone calls during each meeting. One call Asimov was extremely deferential to the man he was talking to and the other call, Asimov spoke in quiet hushed tones on the phone. The kid said that each time after the second call, Asimov would take something out of his pocket that looked like a photograph. He would look at it with soft eyes, then he would look up at the men with an even more determined look on his face. 

Ah, thought Oliver, now we know that there was more to Gavriil's actions than just retaliation for whatever slight he thought had happened to his brother. If it was a photograph Gavriil looked at, who was it a picture of, Oliver wondered. What would give him motivation enough to go on a suicide mission against him and Anatoli?

The kid continued to tell them what he knew. Asimov instructed him that his job was to lead the men in his group past the perimeter of the estate and enter the house unobstructed. When he got them past the perimeter, he had been surprised to see the number of armed guards positioned around the house. He didn't realize that someone was living there now, and he had felt like Asimov had set up his own men to fail. He had tried to get the group of men he was with to fall back, but they insisted that they had to move forward or none of them would get paid for the job. He, himself, had been promised $10,000 for leading them onto the estate and an additional $10,000 to get them into the house. He had been about to abandon their plan, when one of Asimov's men got trigger happy and started shooting at the guards. That's when all Hell broke loose and he got caught by one of the guards and taken prisoner.

The information they gained from the young man did not impress Anatoli. He couldn't believe that the kid had learned so much after only two meetings. He asked, "Why should we think you have told us the truth?"

The young man still tied to the chair, looked over at the older man, shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I have no family, nothing to lose, only my life." He then looked at Oliver and said, "There's nothing left here in Star City for me and no matter how many promises our Mayor makes about making Star City great again, I don't believe it will ever be great for me."

Oliver frowned and Anatoli laughed. This young man's jab at Oliver was the kind of thing that delighted Anatoli's sense of humor. He turned to look at Oliver and said, 'Maybe this 'Noman' is more than meets the eye, eh, old friend?" Anatoli snapped his fingers at one of his men and they cut the young man's bindings off. Anatoli walked over to the kid and said, "You, 'Noman' will come with me to Russia, learn our ways and you will be No Man no longer."

Oliver saw the look in Anatoli's eye that meant he was starting to see a Bratva future for this kid. He had impressed Anatoli and that was no easy feat. At least it meant the kid would be given the opportunity to live a better life than he was currently. That night they directed 'Noman' to a room in the house for him to sleep. 

Anatoli ordered a guard to stay outside his room to monitor the kid's whereabouts at all times. He let Oliver know that he and Katya would leave at the end of the week to head back to Russia. Katya was responding well to the new treatments and Caitlin had offered to travel with them to Russia to set up the treatments there with Katya's doctors. Plus, now that he had a new pupil, Anatoli wanted to get him started on the training. He turned to look at Oliver as they stood at the base of the stairs leading to Oliver's room. "Oliver, just because we did not strike tonight against the Asimov family in retaliation for what happened, doesn't mean that their family will not feel my wrath," Anatoli said with venom. "Their family will be driven out of Star City and their entire operation will be put into your control."

Oliver took in a deep breath and asked, "Then I control their fate, Sir?"

Anatoli nodded his head yes.

"Then I have no wish to drive them out of Star City, Sir," Oliver replied. "Instead, I wish to speak to the person who represents their family and establish a truce between our families."

Anatoli shook his head at Oliver and replied, "Always the peacemaker Oliver Queen, no wonder why you wish to be your city's Mayor." Anatoli stepped closer to Oliver and added, "Don't you think you have your hands full already? Get rid of these troublemakers from your City so you can focus on more important things here and now."

Oliver shook his head in disagreement and replied, "Sir, I believe their family can be useful to me, if given the opportunity." Anatoli gave him a skeptical look and Oliver continued, "Should they choose otherwise, then I will do as you recommend."

Anatoli smiled at this, nodded his head in agreement and went to join Katya in their room.

Oliver wanted to learn more about the Asimov family and to discover if they had any more possible connections to whomever was threatening his wife. Oliver bade his friend good night and headed up to their bedroom to see if Felicity was still awake. When he got to their room, he found his wife, curled up on his side of the bed, clutching tightly onto his pillow. As quietly as possible, Oliver cleaned up in the bathroom and joined Felicity in bed, curling his body around her.

Felicity whimpered at his touch and leaned her body into him, craving his warmth, but didn't wake up.

Oliver kissed her gently on her head and held her tight to him. He knew that he had almost lost her today and that was not something that he ever wanted to endure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay in this chapter. I kept going in different directions with it and hope that you enjoyed the final product.  
> Thank you for your patience!


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Oliver and Felicity start to put the puzzle pieces together...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> There is a lovely piece of artwork created for this story by the talented VictoriaOlicity. Please check out my tumblr page to see it.  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Felicity awoke the next morning in the warm embrace of her husband. She gave a soft sigh and nuzzled closer to Oliver. She felt him tighten his arms around her and heard him say, "Go back to sleep, Babe. It's too early to get up." She chuckled in response and said, "Honey, it's only Thursday. We have to go into the office this morning."

Oliver groaned and said, "Can't the Mayor call in sick for one day and play hookey with his beautiful wife?"

Felicity smiled at the thought, then frowned as she remembered something and said, "As appealing as that thought is Oliver, we still have a few things we need to discuss and accomplish today." She wiggled to try and get into a sitting up position, but Oliver was undaunted. He only held tighter to her. "Ow!" she replied, and Oliver released her immediately, and sat up in bed.

"Babe, I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you even more?" he asked repentantly.

Felicity gently eased herself into a sitting position and said, "I'm okay. I'm just still tender on my arms, honey."

Oliver frowned. For a moment he had forgotten what had happened yesterday and only wanted to stay in bed with his wife a little while longer before having to face the day.

Felicity scooted closer to him and tenderly wrapped her arms around him. She leaned into him and placed gentle kisses along his jaw line. "Hey, I'm going to be okay in a few days." She stopped, looked at him and said, "I'm just going to have to make sure I wear long sleeves for a while until the bruising fades away."

Anger crossed his features for a moment, thinking about all that had happened yesterday. Then he took in a deep breath and said, "We need to talk."

"I take it your...interrogation of the prisoner last night proved fruitful?" Felicity asked with trepidation. When Oliver hadn't returned to their bedroom soon after she got there, she worried that he would revert back to who he was before she met him. That the recent influence of the Bratva would have sunk it's evil talons into him and not let go.

Oliver nodded his head and replied, "It was more of a discussion actually." He reached for Felicity's hand and gently held on to it. You are my tether to my humanity, he thought, as he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. What would I do without you? Then he lightly cupped her face with his other hand and she leaned into it, closing her eyes. He continued, "The prisoner is a young man, probably no older than Thea, straight from the Glades."

Felicity opened her eyes and asked, "Is he still alive?"

Oliver nodded his head and said, "He's actually staying in one of our guest rooms now."

Felicity pulled back her head and gave him a questioning look, "Come again?" she asked.

"The kid tried telling me that his name is 'Noman' and I told him he could call me 'Odysseus'," Oliver said. 

"Well, at least he's a well-read criminal," Felicity quipped.

Oliver smiled, then continued soberly, "Then after he told us everything he knew about Asimov's plan, he made a smart remark about me being Mayor of Star City trying to make it great again for everyone else but him." Oliver paused for a moment. The kids words had made an impact on him last night that he still couldn't shake. Did the people of The Glades really think that he was only concerned about those who lived in the wealthier parts of Star City? Wasn't he doing everything he could to benefit the entire city? Hadn't they been working to rebuild the public works infrastructure that had been destroyed? 

She squeezed his hand as tightly as she could, opened her eyes and said, "Hey, I see that look on your face, Oliver." She tugged on his hand a little and continued, "You have done everything possible to make Star City a better place for everyone." She leaned over to give him a reassuring kiss and said, "I'm sorry this young man has you doubting your efforts, but I know how much you've sacrificed...how much you have given of yourself to make our City great again."

"But, what have I really done, Felicity?" he asked her. "I haven't been out on patrol in weeks. I've attended City Council meeting after City Council meeting and my only real accomplishment has been appointing you Deputy Mayor! Which, thank God, happened because you are the one who has made sure that we got our Federal Disaster Assistance granted and are leading the rebuilding team of our destroyed water treatment facility," Oliver said, finally allowing some of his frustration he had been feeling come out.

Felicity looked at Oliver and just shook her head, "First, you and I are a team. We're a team at City Hall. We're a team in our night time activities and we're a team in our home," she stressed to him. "Have we had to re-prioritize our focus on other things lately?"   
Felicity paused for a moment and added, "Yes, we have." 

Oliver looked at her with concern. She's not blaming herself for my rant is she, he wondered, then thought, please don't blame yourself, Baby.

Felicity continued, "Each time we have done that, it's because we knew we had to." She squeezed his hand again and said, "Oliver, our responsibilities are growing, they are not diminishing. Each time we cross something off our list, there is always going to be something that pops up and gets our attention. The thing that we have to remember is that we are not alone in this. We have each other and we will tackle each thing that happens together. So I'm sorry if some kid has shaken your confidence in what you've been able to accomplish so far. You can't let him mess with your head like that. I know what you've done. I know what you've accomplished. I know what you have left to do and I know you can do it. The thing is now, you need to know you can do it too. So if I have to fly a banner around the city proclaiming "You can do it!" or buy a full page ad in every newspaper and magazine in Star City, then I'll do it. Because, you Oliver Queen, are the person I believe in. You are the person I trust most in this world and you are the only man I will ever love." 

Oliver felt a surge of confidence envelope him as he gently wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and pulled her close to him. "Thank you for loving me, Felicity. Thank you for always having faith in me and thank you for always knowing exactly what I needed to hear."

Felicity hugged him as tightly as she could and added, "I am always going to be here for you, Oliver...always."

They stayed in their embrace for a moment longer, enjoying the feeling of shared contentment, when Oliver said, "Babe, I need to tell you something else."

Felicity sighed and lifted her head to look at him. "I take it the kid told you something about Gavriil that you weren't expecting?"

Oliver nodded his head and replied, "I think Asimov may have been motivated to attack you for more than just the slight he believed his family received at the dinner party."

Felicity simply nodded her head in agreement. The manila envelope Katya had provided her last night contained valuable information about all of the Bratva families in Star City. The most information had been about the Asimovs. "While you and Anatoli were having your 'discussion', Katya gave me something." She reached over to the drawer in her night stand, pulled out the envelope and handed it to Oliver. "Katya had a dossier prepared on each of the Bratva families in the region. The biggest one is on the Asimovs."

Oliver opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. "Did you go through everything already?" he asked.

Felicity replied, "Yes, last night."

"What did you learn?" he asked as he looked through the photos and paperwork Katya provided.

"The Asimovs were once a wealthy family, but a string of bad investments and luck has their family teetering on financial ruin," Felicity informed him. "It also looks like they had gotten involved with the second Count Vertigo. They were the ones financially backing that operation out of the mental institution."

Oliver remembered his encounter with that version of Count Vertigo, making his eyes harden with disgust. "According to the young man now staying with us, Gavriil promised him $20,000 to show his men how to get into our home undetected," Oliver said.

"Well, I don't know where he was going to get that money from?" Felicity replied. "I went ahead and double checked their family accounts last night before I went to bed and everything they own is about to get foreclosed on by Walter's bank later this month."

Oliver sat there for a moment and tried to put the pieces together in his mind.

Felicity looked at her husband and could see the wheels turning. "Oliver, what are you not telling me?" she asked.

"I think Gavriil was promised a lot of money for the attack yesterday, whether he lived or not," Oliver paused for a moment, then he reached around her for her tablet, gave it to her and asked, "Will you double check those family accounts again right now?"

Felicity gently shrugged her shoulders, took the tablet from him and said, "Sure, but I don't think we'll see anything different. The Asimovs' are penniless." She turned on her tablet and logged back into the bank's network and located the accounts she viewed last night. Felicity's eyes grew huge. "I don't believe it!" she exclaimed. She turned the tablet around to show Oliver and said, "Each account is showing a balance of over $20 million dollars!" Felicity turned the tablet around and started typing away on it.

Oliver's eyes grew cold. He knew that the Asimovs had to have been motivated by more than a perceived slight to their honor. Whoever had given them the order to do what they had done had to have been someone powerful. It had to be someone who had access to enough money and credibility to make Gavriil willing to take on a suicide mission to restore his family's finances.

"Oh my God!" Felicity hissed and looked up at her husband. 

Oliver looked at his wife as they both finally put their suspicions together as one.

Felicity continued to type away on her tablet. It took a few minutes, but finally she said, "I was able to track down the wire transfers into the Asimov Family accounts from an account in Moscow."

Oliver's eyes grew sad as he asked, "Whose account is it, Felicity?"

"It says that it originated from a company called Herald United Freight," she replied looking up at Oliver. Then she looked back down at her tablet and said, "Let me see what I can find out about them." She continued her search, trying to find out as much about them as possible. 

Oliver sat there impatiently. He knew Felicity was doing the best she could do having only her tablet to work with right now. "Babe, how about we finish the search in the office?"

Felicity shook her head no and said, "Just a minute, I want to double check something, first."

"Did you find something?" Oliver asked.

"Yes," she replied hesitantly, "but I know it has to be wrong." She looked up at Oliver and added, "It has to be wrong..." she emphasized. Oh, God, please let this be wrong, she thought.

"You don't need to double check anything, Felicity," Oliver reassured her, placing his hand gently on top of hers on the tablet. "I trust you."

Felicity looked up at Oliver. She could feel the tears beginning to well in her eyes.

"Please, just tell me whose account is it?" he asked in a quiet tone, as he was mentally preparing to hear the worst.

She looked away from him and closed her eyes. She knew that this betrayal would wound Oliver deeply. It had already wounded her deeply. How could this happen? Why would this happen? It can't be true. There was no way this information was correct...

In a gentle voice, Oliver said, "Felicity, tell me who is responsible for all of this."

She looked up at him as a single tear fell from the corner of her eye and replied, "You'd think they would be better at covering their tracks than this." She wiped away the tear that fell, then continued, "Herald United Freight is an A.R.G.U.S. dummy corporation based out of Moscow." 

"Amanda Waller is dead, Felicity," Oliver replied. "There's no one left there who would sanction this type of operation."

Felicity shook her head, sniffled, turned the tablet around to show Oliver her screen.

He recoiled after seeing what she had shown him. The company's articles of incorporation were signed by Lyla Michaels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the next update probably won't happen until the weekend.  
> There is so much more to come... :-)


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Felicity finally gets interviewed by the police...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> There is a beautiful piece of artwork to accompany this story done by the amazing VictoriaOlicity. You can find it on my tumblr page.  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Once the initial shock was over, Oliver gauged his reaction very carefully. He knew that A.R.G.U.S. had corporations they used as covers for their agents all over the world. It would stand to reason that Lyla had created new ones once she became the new Amanda Waller. He only hoped that was the only thing she and Amanda had in common. 

"There has to be an explanation for this," Felicity whispered as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "We have to give Lyla an opportunity to explain this to us, Oliver."

The knock on their bedroom door startled Felicity and caused Oliver to hop out of bed in a defensive stance.

"Captain," said Peter Dashkin through the door. "I apologize for knocking, but the Star City PD are downstairs requesting to speak to Mrs. Queen about what happened yesterday at Palmer Technologies."

Oliver looked at Felicity and whispered, "Are you okay to speak with the police now?"

Felicity nodded her head and said, "I can do it. I just need a few minutes to compose myself before meeting with them."

Oliver nodded his head in agreement and replied tersely to Peter, "Have them wait for us in the library and please make sure our other guest stays in his guest room while the police are here. We'll be down in a few minutes." 

"Understood, Captain," was the only reply Oliver heard from Peter. He waited a few moments to listen for Peter's steps taking him away from their door. He turned to Felicity and said, "Let's get ready and then we'll go down there together."

"Okay," was the only answer she could muster. There were so many different things going through her mind all at once. How could their friend be involved with this? Did Agent Torres know about any of this? Why was Oliver being so calm and methodical about everything? Has he had experience with these A.R.G.U.S. fronts in his past? It made no sense that Lyla would be involved with the Asimovs, unless she was trying to infiltrate the Bratva for some reason. 

Oliver noticed how quiet and withdrawn she was. He reached for her and said, "Hey, come here." Then he gently pulled her into his embrace, tucking her head under his chin. "We're going to figure this out, Felicity...together." He heard her sniffle again and could feel fresh tears starting to moisten his chest. 

Felicity gently squeezed her arms around his waist and said, "I just...I just can't believe that Lyla would have anything to do with this."

What do I say when I know that anything is possible when A.R.G.U.S. is concerned, Oliver thought. "Babe, you said it yourself...we have to give Lyla an opportunity to explain herself." Or at least give us an opportunity to dig deeper into the wire transfer and this A.R.G.U.S. front, he thought to himself.

Felicity sniffled, sighed and said, "You're right. Plus, I'd like to go over everything I've found so far on the Asimovs. I keep having a feeling like we're missing something."

Oliver gently rubbed his hand up and down her back in a soothing motion. "Why don't you go get ready. I'll throw on a shirt and head downstairs to keep the officers busy until you are ready to join us."

Felicity reached up on her toes and gave her husband a gentle kiss on the lips, "Thank you for not overreacting to this situation, Oliver. We owe it to John to give Lyla the chance to explain this to us." 

Oliver nodded his head slowly and released Felicity from his embrace so she could go get ready. He couldn't agree with her more. The old Oliver would have stormed out of the house, hopped on his bike and demanded answers from Lyla about what they've found. But he knew that tactic wouldn't work this time. If Lyla was behind everything, she had to know that it would only be a matter of time before Felicity had figured everything out. They had to proceed with caution so as not to alert her about what they've found, all while trying to figure out if she was guilty or innocent.

He quickly got ready and headed downstairs. Peter had shown the officers into the library. When Oliver entered the room he noticed both officers squirming under Peter's scrutinizing gaze. Both officers stood up once they noticed Oliver and said, "Sorry to bother you so early, Mr. Mayor, but we needed to get Mrs. Queen's statement about what happened."

Oliver gave the officers his charming smile and replied, "No bother, Officers. My wife will be joining us shortly." He motioned for them to retake their seat while he sat down in a chair opposite them. "Would you gentlemen like some coffee?" he asked them.

Both officers shook their head no. 

A knock on the door had everyone's head turning toward it. Peter opened the door to reveal Raisa with a little pushcart containing a carafe of coffee and some freshly baked pastries. Once inside the office, Raisa placed the cart next to Oliver's chair and asked,   
"Would you like anything else, Mr. Oliver?"

Oliver smiled at Raisa and answered, "No Raisa, that will be all. Thank you."

Raisa nodded her head, smiled at the gentlemen in the room and left.

Oliver stood up and prepared a cup of coffee. Just as he was getting ready to sit down, Felicity walked into the room. "Perfect timing, my Dear. I have your coffee ready for you," he said as he held up the steaming cup of coffee. 

"My hero," Felicity replied, smiling as she took the offered cup of coffee. Oliver kissed her on the cheek and she sat down in the chair next to his. Once she had taken her first sip, she smiled at the officers and Peter and said, "Shall we get this started?"

The officers proceeded to ask Felicity to tell them what she witnessed during the siege at Palmer Technologies. She let them know that the man who had attacked them said his name was Gavriil Asimov. They asked Felicity if she knew him and she answered honestly and simply, "No." Then the officers asked her what she knew about the people who had rescued her and she explained that one moment Mr. Asimov was holding her against her will, then the next moment she was waking up, lying on the ground and   
Mr. Asimov was lying dead by her feet.

Felicity asked, "Have you gotten statements from the other hostages, yet?"

One of the officers replied, "They each have basically said exactly what you have said."

The other officer concurred, then added as he flipped through his notebook, "However, a Mr. Dennis mentioned that it appeared that Mr. Asimov had you targeted for this attack?"

Felicity took a sip of her coffee and asked, "How is Mr. Dennis doing? I seem to remember that he got hit on the head pretty hard by Mr. Asimov."

The first officer replied, "He's doing better. He's supposed to be released from the hospital this morning once his doctor clears him."

"Well, that's a relief," answered Felicity.

The other officer continued looking directly at Felicity, "So, Mrs. Queen, do you have any idea why this Asimov character would target you?"

"Officer, my wife is a very wealthy woman and the Deputy Mayor of Star City. I think what this event has taught us is that we need to make sure that she has a bodyguard with her at all times," replied Oliver smoothly. Then he added, "My greatest fear now is that other criminals may try to follow in this Asimov character's footsteps and come after her again."

The other officer looked like he was about to ask another question when the first officer looking like he was getting nervous responded, "Mr. Mayor, I think that we've got all the answers we need now. We're sorry to have to bother you in your home this morning, but figured that you would rather answer any questions here instead of down at the station."

Felicity smiled at the officer and replied, "Thank you for your consideration. It was a really long day yesterday and I'm still trying to get my bearings straight."

The second officer stood up, looked at Oliver and Felicity and said, "If we have any additional questions, we'll get in touch with you."

"Of course, Officer," replied Oliver as he reached for Felicity's hand and squeezed. "You know where to find us in City Hall." Then Oliver smiled as he and Felicity both stood up and Peter opened the door to the library to see both officers out.

"This way officers," Peter said confidently as he escorted the men out of the library and shut the door behind them.

Felicity turned to Oliver and said, "I think that officer suspects something."

Oliver pulled her into his embrace and said, "You have nothing to worry about, Babe. Gavriil and all of his men are dead leaving the police to consider this an open and shut case..." Then sensing she was still uneasy he added, "How about we wait here for Dashkin, find out how Agent Torres is doing first, then check in with Anatoli and Katya, afterwards, I let you work your magic on the keyboard over there," Oliver pointed toward the computer on his desk and continued, "and I get a chance to review the dossiers   
Katya provided you last night for any additional clues that you might have missed?"

Felicity sighed and nodded her head in agreement. She knew that Oliver was being unexpectedly practical, and she loved him for it, but right now she felt so on edge, she wasn't sure that she would be able to type. The very thought that their friend could be behind the attack on her at Palmer Technologies was weighing heavily on her mind. If Lyla was capable of doing this, Felicity wondered, what else would she be capable of?

There was a knock on the library door to which Oliver replied, "Enter!"

Peter came in and reported, "The officers are gone. I've been assured that they will file their report and nothing more will come of it."

Oliver nodded his head and said, "Good."

Felicity asked, "How is Agent Torres doing, Peter?"

Peter replied, "They are going to release her this afternoon." He paused for a moment, looking uncomfortable, then asked, "I was hoping that I could return to the hospital to make sure that she got home safely, that is if you do not have need of me here, Captain?"

Oliver nodded his head and Felicity smiled. "Of course, Peter," replied Oliver. "I know that Felicity and I would both appreciate knowing that you were taking care of Agent Torres to get safely home after what happened yesterday." 

Felicity gave Oliver a knowing smile, then added looking at Peter, "If she gives you any trouble, just offer her a Double Belly Buster and Vanilla shake form Big Belly Burger. She'll agree to anything if you offer her that..."

The slightest hint of pink tinged Peter's cheeks as he replied, "Thank you, I'll be sure to remember that." Then he turned around and exited the room.

Felicity's stomach started to grumble. "Ugh! All that talk about Big Belly Burger has left my belly growling."

Oliver smiled and said, "Let's go check on Anatoli and Katya, then we'll go raid the refrigerator for something to eat and I have something you should see without interruption."

Felicity cocked her head to the side to give him a smirk and said, "We don't have time for that right now, Oliver."

Oliver grinned and said, "Not that, Babe. I figured since we weren't going into the office today, I wanted to show you something I've been working on whenever I've had a free moment here at the house."

Felicity could tell that whatever this was, it was important to Oliver. "Well, then," she said, "Lead on MacDuff!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're starting wind the story down, slowly but surely.  
> I hope you are enjoying these chapters.  
> The next ones are going to get real interesting... ;-)


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> There is a beautiful piece of artwork created by the lovely and talented VictoriaOlicity. You can see it on my tumblr page.  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.  
> Sorry for the delay in an update. I had to travel out of town on a business trip.  
> I hope this chapter was worth the wait...

Chapter Thirty-Four

After checking in with Anatoli and Katya, Oliver and Felicity made their way to the kitchen to find something to eat. Katya alerted Raisa, who they found already putting together a small platter of finger sandwiches, sliced cheese, and fresh fruits and vegetables together. Oliver and Felicity thanked her, grabbed the platter, and a couple of bottled waters. Oliver led Felicity down to the garage where Malcolm's car collection was stored. Oliver walked past the Lamborghini Veneno and Ferrari Pininfarima Sergio and headed straight to the work bench on the other side of the cars. 

Felicity gave Oliver a strange look and asked, "Are we taking one of these high performance vehicles for a spin?"

Oliver shook his head no and answered, "Not today, Babe." He grinned at her, gave her the platter and reached under the work bench.

Felicity heard a mechanism catch and then the work bench slide to the right revealing a secret room. Felicity gasped. "When did you discover this?" she asked Oliver.

"Dig and I chased Malcolm down here a few years ago before the Undertaking. I finally got an opportunity to explore down here and wanted to set up a few things before showing it to you." Oliver took the platter from her and led her into the room.

Felicity entered the secret room and looked around. Flanked by walls filled with a variety of deadly weapons, no doubt some left by Malcolm Merlyn and some likely added by her husband, Felicity squealed in delight when she saw the row of computer equipment and one of her favorite swivel chairs at her disposal. She turned to face Oliver and asked, “Is this my early Christmas present?”

Oliver blushed and returned her smile. “Babe, I know that we haven’t been able to do a proper patrol in several weeks and I knew that if I’m going stir crazy about it, you must be too.

Felicity slightly nodded her head in agreement with him. When did he have time to accomplish this, she wondered?

Oliver continued, “I figured that we might be able to get a little patrolling done if you were based closer to home and this bunker provided me a perfect opportunity to create this mini-lair for you.”

Being a part of Team Arrow is a very important part of her life that helped her feel whole. The exhilaration she felt from their night time activities was one of the things that made her happy. She wrapped her arms around Oliver and replied, “Thank you for this.”

Oliver gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead. “You never have to tell me ‘Thank You’.” Then he rested his forehead against hers as they stood there in a moment of silence. “You might want to see how well I did setting up your babies,” he whispered to her. 

Felicity looked up at him and smiled.

Then Oliver released her from his embrace and she sauntered over to the new workstation. 

Felicity double checked each connection and component. When she was done, she looked up at Oliver and gave him her brightest smile, “You’ve done well, Oliver,” then she added cheekily, “but you are not a Jedi yet.” She sat down in her chair and began typing away rapidly on her new workstation.

Oliver smiled back at her beaming with pride. This was her element. This was how she contributed to the team. This was her super-power. He knew that he would never tire of watching her. Now, she needed to use her talents to prove their friend’s innocence or betrayal. 

Felicity knew that they had some time for her to work on figuring out exactly what role Lyla played in this. She just knew that she had to maintain her faith in her friend.

After about an hour of setting up her search algorithms, Felicity looked over to Oliver who was busy cleaning off weapons secured to the wall. She smiled as she watched him. “Hey,” she said to him. 

Oliver put down the sword he was cleaning and walked over to her. “Everything okay?” he asked.

Felicity reached up and place her hand on his arm. “The search program I’ve set up is going to take at least a day to finish processing the data and translating the documents from Russian to English that it finds.”

“I could translate them for you, you know,” replied Oliver quietly.

Felicity smiled and squeezed his arm, “I know Sweetie and I love that you offered to do that, but we need to go back upstairs and have dinner with Katya and Anatoli. It’s their last night here and we should spend some time with them after everything that has happened.”

Oliver knew she was right, even though all he wanted to do was to stay there away from everything. It was Katya’s and Anatoli’s last night in America before they headed back to Russia. He let out a long sigh in agreement. “Come on,” he said as he held his hand out to her, “Let’s go.”

Felicity placed her hand in his and stood up from her chair. They left the secret room and made sure that it was secure. Then headed up to their room in silence, the occasional squeeze of their hands reminding them both that they were in this together, a team ever always.

Once they were both ready, Oliver and Felicity made their way to the dining room, where Katya and Anatoli were already deep in conversation. As they entered the room, Katya and Anatoli both stopped their talking and turned their heads toward the young couple. Anatoli smiled, a twinkle appeared in his eye. Katya’s smile was genuine, but tinged with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Anatoli stood up and walked over toward Felicity. He reached for both her hands and kissed each one gently on her knuckles. “You are truly beautiful, my dear daughter.” He secured Felicity’s arm with his own and led her to the seat next to his. Oliver walked over and kissed Katya on the cheek and sat down next to her. As if on cue, Raisa, began to bring in their dinner and placed the different platters of traditional Russian foods in front of them. 

Felicity looked up from her dinner plate as everyone was eating and asked, “Has Peter checked in with anyone yet?”

Katya smiled, Oliver frowned and Anatoli replied, “I believe he is still taking care of Miss Torres and has not checked in with anyone as of yet.”

Felicity looked across the table at Oliver with concern. 

He very slightly shook his head at her and said, “I’m sure he’s just making sure that Miss Torres is resting, Babe.”

Felicity tilted her head and gave him a side-eyed glance.

“I’ll call him right after dinner to find out why he hasn’t checked back in with us, okay?” he replied.

Felicity nodded her head, still worried, but for the moment Oliver’s words appeased her. 

Anatoli sensing Felicity’s concern said, “Daughter, you have nothing to worry about. Dashkin is more than capable of taking care of your dear Miss Torres. He’s likely dancing to her merry tune as we speak.”

“Tsk!” scolded Katya, making Anatoli chuckle, Oliver grin and Felicity blush from the innuendo.

“Well…he’s available, I’m guessing she’s available and he still hasn’t reported or returned from his visit…so…” Anatoli replied with a smile. 

“Yes, My Love,” responded Katya, “but you know I have my heart set on Elizabeta back home for Peter.”

Felicity and Oliver shared glances over the rim of their wine glasses. She mouthed ‘Who’s Elizabeta?’ while Oliver shrugged his shoulders.

“No more matchmaking, My Dear,” replied Anatoli, “let us enjoy our last meal in America with our daughter and son-in-law, yes?”

Katya, knowing that Anatoli wanted to change the subject offered them all a small acquiescing smile and then said, “Very well.”

The little group continued their dinner in peace. Anatoli let them know that he and Katya would be leaving in the morning to head home, but that they would leave behind a few of his most trusted men to serve at Oliver’s and Peter’s discretion. Oliver looked at   
Felicity and then said, “Sir, we thank you for your thoughtfulness about our safety...”

Anatoli smiled at Oliver’s response.

Then Oliver added, “But I would prefer to put those men to a test before we make the final decision as to who stays with us and who returns with you to Russia.”

Anatoli frowned. “Do you doubt the loyalty of the men I have chosen to protect my daughter?” Anatoli asked with a hint of scorn.

Oliver held up both hands to pacify him and said, “Pakhan, I mean no disrespect. It is for my own peace of mind regarding My Beloved’s safety that I want to confer with Dashkin about each man you have chosen.”

Anatoli sat back in his chair and studied Oliver’s face. Then he looked at Katya who simply nodded her head in agreement with Oliver, then Anatoli said, “Very well, then…let us contact Peter and see if we cannot drag him away from his lovely, young lady and help assuage any issues you may have about the guards I have chosen to protect my dear daughter.”

“Thank you, Pakhan,” replied Oliver. He rose to his feet and stepped out of the room to place the call to Peter.

As Oliver left, Anatoli turned his gaze to Felicity and said, “You must learn to pick your battles with that one.”

Katya, smiling at Anatoli, added, “And you must speak your mind when necessary.”

Anatoli laughed. “Absolutely! I know I am a better man for always heeding My Beloved’s advice!” Then he focused on Felicity, reached for her hand and said, “You have already done so much for Oliver, my child.” Anatoli’s eyes grew softer and a bit misty as he added, “He was always at his core a good man, but your influence has made him a great man.”

Katya nodded her head in agreement and then yawned. “I believe I may have over done things today, Dearest. I think I shall go and prepare for bed now.”

Just as Anatoli was getting ready to push Katya’s wheelchair away from the table, Felicity’s phone rang. She looked down and noticed that it was Lyla calling. A feeling of nervousness cascaded down her spine. She quickly looked up toward the door Oliver had exited the room at, but still not returned. She stood up and said, “I’m so sorry, but I need to take this call.”

Anatoli and Katya both nodded their heads in understanding and left the room. 

Felicity answered the phone as normally as possible, “Hi Lyla, how’s my favorite Goddaughter doing?”

Lyla chuckled at the other end of the call and said, “Ah, that’s why I’m calling. Sara was asking for you and I was hoping that you would be willing to come over this weekend for a visit…maybe we could take Sara to the zoo?”

Felicity paused for a moment. How do I answer this question, she wondered? She looked up when she heard the door to the dining room reopen and Oliver entered the room, a worried look on his face. Felicity replied, “I would love to do that Lyla…” she saw   
Oliver’s eyes turn icy as she said her friend’s name. Then she continued, “Let me just make sure that Oliver’s campaign hasn’t promised that I would attend some chat and chew event for the local Daughters of Star City or something like that, okay?”

Lyla laughed at Felicity’s quip and replied, “I forget that he’s got opposition in the race now. Well, just text me and let me know if you will be able to join us this weekend. If it works better for your schedule, I could always just bring Sara over for a visit to see   
your new house. I imagine it must have plenty of places for a soon-to-be three-year-old to get into?”

Felicity deadpanned, “You have no idea…”

“Talk to you soon,” Lyla replied and then she ended the call.

Felicity looked at Oliver and said, “Lyla wants us to go with her and Sara to the zoo this weekend.”

Oliver frowned and replied, “You know we can’t do that, Felicity.” 

“Lyla is not the enemy, Oliver,” she replied. At least she hoped she wasn’t. She knew she had to maintain her faith in Lyla. Not only for herself, but also for faith in John Diggle. As she looked at Oliver, she could see that he too was facing the same dilemma. Was   
he afraid that trusting his faith in his friends would backfire on him? She reached to put a reassuring hand on his cheek and added, “My search program will provide us with more answers to our questions soon, and if we don’t find what we’re looking for or if…”   
Felicity paused for a moment, not wanting to voice the unimaginable. She rallied, “If we find out we were wrong, then we will deal with that too.”

Oliver pursed his lips. He knew that she was right about this. In his gut, he knew Lyla wouldn’t betray their friendship.

Felicity asked, “Did you speak to Peter?”

Oliver shook his head no. “He didn’t answer his phone so I left him a voicemail to call me.”

Felicity tilted her head to the side. “Isn’t that odd?” she asked.

Oliver nodded his head in agreement. As Oliver’s second in command and Felicity’s personal bodyguard, it was strange that Peter had not answered his call. “Do you think that you can, you know, ping his cell phone to double check his location?”

Felicity frowned, “As if you even have to ask…” She reached for his hand and they headed back down to the mini-lair. Once there, she noticed that her program was still scanning for answers, so she popped up another window and began to search for Peter’s cellphone’s GPS signature. In a matter of minutes, she showed Oliver the blinking blip on the screen showing that Peter was indeed still at Agent Torres’ apartment. She swiveled around in her chair to face him and asked, “Do you think I should call CC to make sure that they are okay?”

Oliver wanted to say no, but instead he said, “Make the call.”

Felicity reached for her phone and called CC. On the fourth ring it went to CC’s voicemail. “Hey CC. I just wanted to see how you were doing and find out if Peter was still there. If he is, would you please ask him to give Oliver a call as soon as he can? Thanks.”   
She turned back to her screen and pinged CC’s phone. After a minute, a similar blinking blip on the screen appeared next to the one that popped up for Peter. She turned back around to face Oliver lifted her hands up to point at the blips on the screen and shrugged her shoulders up emphasizing that Peter and CC were exactly where they were supposed to be.

Oliver frowned. He knew not to ignore his instincts and right now they were telling him that something was wrong. His phone ringing interrupted his thoughts. He looked down at it and answered, “Hey Mark.” Oliver nodded his head and replied, “Um, huh…yeah…I know…yes…no…yeah, her Aunt is doing much better now. Felicity’s feeling much better now too, thank you…Yeah, that’s not going to work for us tomorrow…”

Felicity stood up next to him and whispered, “What’s wrong?”

Oliver whispered, “Debate prep…” Then he said, “Okay, fine, Mark. I’ll see you at the campaign office…no, not tonight. It will have to wait until tomorrow night. Felicity’s Aunt and Uncle are departing for home tomorrow and we need to be here to send them off.   
I’ll see you then…Okay, thanks…Bye.” Oliver hung up his phone and looked at Felicity. “Mark wants me to go to the campaign office tomorrow to practice for the mayoral debate that will be televised on Monday night.”

Felicity inwardly groaned. If she was dreading the debate, she could only imagine how Oliver must feel about it. “Is there anything that I can do to help?” she asked.

He smiled at her and replied, “Thank you for offering, Babe, but I have to do this on my own.” Then he asked, “How is your search going?”

She turned back to look at her monitors and replied, “It’s taking a little longer than I expected as there are a plethora of documents it is rummaging through, but I hope to have something more either early tomorrow morning or later in the afternoon.” She picked up her phone and added, “I set an alert notice on my phone to let me know once it’s finished.” She stretched her arms over her head, yawned and said, “Come on, Hun, let’s go to bed. Anatoli and Katya are leaving early and I want to make sure that we are there in the morning to say good-bye.” They left the mini-lair and headed up to their room, both knowing tomorrow would be a day of revelations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is going to be filled with a lot of stuff.  
> I will do my best to have it ready by Tuesday... Wish me luck! :-)


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> We find out a major development in who is after Felicity...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> The artwork on my tumblr page for this story was done by the wonderfully talented VictoriaOlicity. Thank you!  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Thirty-Five

The next morning Felicity awoke to the sounds of grunting coming from the garden. She reached over to wake up Oliver only to find his side of the bed empty. Puzzled, she pulled on her pajama wrap and walked toward the ajar veranda doors to see what the commotion on the lawn was about. As she stepped out of their room, she heard Anatoli laugh and say something in Russian. She looked over the railing and saw her husband bellowing orders in Russian to a group of 20 men performing hand-to-hand combat drills. Oliver's voice dropped an octave, almost reaching the Green Arrow timbre, fueling a sudden wave of desire that pulsed throughout her body. Felicity sighed deeply and smiled at her husband.

Just at that moment, Oliver looked up and saw her standing above them in her silk wrapper. He raised an eyebrow at her and noticed out of the corner of his eye, one of the men give his wife an appraising leer. Oliver turned, grabbed the man by his neck and slammed him into the ground before anyone could respond. He let them all know in Russian that his wife was to be treated with respect at all times lest they wish to go home in a box. He released the man, who kept his eyes downcast and said his apologies to both Oliver and Anatoli. 

Felicity, startled at Oliver's reaction, could only gasp and watch with concern as Anatoli motioned for the man to come before him. She couldn't see the man's reaction to whatever it was that Anatoli said, but she saw the way the man's shoulders slumped forward as he headed back into the house. A different man exited the house and joined the drills that Oliver had resumed. She stepped away from the railing and stood in the doorway of the veranda. She could still hear Oliver barking out commands in Russian and the sounds of flesh being pounded She knew that the Bratva could be brutal and their influence on Oliver brought out those tendencies in him when he was near them. The knowledge that they were intrinsically linked with the Bratva through Oliver's Captaincy and now her being named heir to Anatoli and Katya, worried her. Would their darkness consume Oliver again, would it eventually consume her? Her phone beeping that she had an incoming message forced her back inside. She went for her phone and found a text message from Lyla. She opened it and saw a picture of Sara holding the stuffed giraffe Felicity had bought her the last time they went to the zoo. Ugh! Now what was she going to do, she wondered. She set her phone down and went into the bathroom to start her morning ritual. 

When Felicity stepped out of the bathroom in her robe, she saw Oliver enter their bedroom and close the door. She watched him cautiously to see if the combat drills he had run with the task force Anatoli was planning to leave behind to help guard them, was still affecting him. She stood her ground and asked, "Are you ready to talk about what I saw happen out there?"

Oliver noticed how tentative Felicity was when she saw him enter the room. He knew she would have questions about what she witnessed during the combat drills. He also knew that he had been right in showing the men Anatoli assigned to guard them that no one disrespected his wife, especially in front of him. The fact that he let the man live showed the men that he had a modicum of restraint. "I was merely teaching the men who will be responsible for guarding us a lesson."

Felicity crossed her arms in front of her, tilted her head to the side and asked, "And slamming that man into the ground was the only way to do it?"

Oliver bit the inside of his cheek to prevent him from saying the first thing that came to mind. He mimicked her stance and replied what the man had said in Russian.

Felicity's eyes darkened as she shifted her feet and mouth parted. "You know I have no idea what you just said, Oliver," she admitted.

Oliver could see her body reacting to the words he spoke in Russian. He replied, "I said that your beauty is like the sun. It blinds a rational man and makes him willing to be irrational."

"Is that what you overhead the man say before you turned him into an example for the other men?" she asked.

"He was a bit less poetic," replied Oliver, "but, basically...yes." Oliver took a few steps toward her and Felicity didn't move. He got closer to her and wrapped his arms around her tentatively. When she reciprocated, Oliver tightened his hold slightly, mindful of the bruises she still had on her arms. He breathed in the sweet scent of her freshly washed hair. The mixture of lavender and vanilla immediately brought a sense of tranquility to him. 

"Well, at least he's still alive," Felicity said. Then she asked, "Anatoli won't harm him will he?"

"No," he replied. "He was for me to deal with as it was my wife he was disrespecting. Since I allowed him to live and merely used him as an example, he will be sent back to Russia and removed from the Pakhan's protection detail. It's a step down for him, but losing his life would have been a worse fate," Oliver explained.

"Lyla sent me a photo of Sara clutching the giraffe I bought her on our last trip to the zoo," Felicity said, changing the subject.

Oliver looked down at her and asked, "Has your program finished its search?"

She shook her head no. "I think we should invite Lyla and Sara to come here for lunch. Anatoli and Katya depart in two hours. We would be back from the airport and could have Raisa put together a light lunch for us and let Sara play in the garden. We would be on our turf, you know 'home field advantage'," she said.

Oliver smiled down at her. "You know what happens when you start using sports metaphors, Babe," he said huskily and started moving them toward the bed.

Felicity smiled up at Oliver and asked, "Thinking you're getting ready score, Mr. Queen?"

"Oh, you're waiving me home, Baby," Oliver said as he leaned in to kiss her.

Felicity pulled back from him and said, "Hun...we have to get ready and figure out what we're going to do about Lyla."

Oliver groaned. He knew she was right. "You're right. I think having her come here is strategically our best option. If she comes alone, then that helps support her innocence."

"Or it's Lyla's way of not raising our suspicions about her," Felicity countered.

"Hey, I thought we were going to wait on the results of your search before passing judgment on our friend?" he asked.

Felicity loved that he was the one to boost her spirits and show that he still had some faith left in their friend. She sighed and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You're right. I'll go ahead and text her to go ahead and come over around Noon and we can have lunch and take Sara to explore the garden." Felicity patted his chest and said, "While you're in the shower, I'm going to finish getting ready, then check in with the office and see if they've heard anything from CC yet."

Oliver nodded his head in agreement and went into the bathroom to shower. When he was done, he exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He looked over at Felicity who was frowning. "What's wrong, Babe?" he asked.

"I just texted Lyla and she replied that they would be here at Noon."

"And that has you frowning because..." Oliver replied.

"It's nothing. I was just wondering if she was getting worried about CC too." Then Felicity asked, “Did Peter ever call you back?”

He walked over to his side of the bed, reached for his phone to see if he had any missed calls. There were a couple of missed texts from Mark and Mavis, but nothing from Peter. Every alarm in his being was sounding off. He knew something was wrong.   
“Nothing here from him. How about for you? Anything from CC?” he asked.

Felicity shook her head no, a worried look emanating from her face. “What do we do now?”

"Have you spoken to Mrs. Sanchez or JJ? Have they heard from CC today?" he quizzed.

"Neither one of them have heard from CC today, Oliver." Felicity replied with a worried voice. "I've got to be honest here, I'm starting to think that there's something wrong."

"Can you ping their cell phones again?" he asked.

She grabbed her tablet and quickly deployed her GPS location tool for their cell phones. Once again the two blips on the screen showed their phones were at CC's house. She turned the tablet around so Oliver could see the blips on the map.

Oliver walked over to her and said, “We need to tackle one thing at a time, Babe.” He embraced her and added, “Let’s get Anatoli and Katya on their plane back to Russia. Then I'll send over one of Dashkin's men to CC's apartment to check things out there, while we stay here to have a little talk with Lyla, okay?”

Felicity agreed with the plan. She knew that once Anatoli and Katya left, things would get easier for them to complete their investigation. While Oliver continued to get ready she sent several emails off to the various Directors of the City's Departments wanting to know about their progress on the infrastructure rebuild. With the mayoral debate next week, Oliver needed a deliverable for the people of Star City. If he could show that sufficient progress was being made on getting utilities back on line for the remainder of the population, it would help him get elected Mayor.

Once ready, they both headed downstairs to join Anatoli and Katya for breakfast. 

Oliver asked, "Where is 'Noman' at?"

Katya smiled and answered, "Nicholas...is outside with the rest of the men getting ready for our journey home."

Oliver nodded his head in understanding and turned toward Anatoli. "Is there anything else you require before you leave, Sir?"

Anatoli smiled and replied, "I would prefer to leave knowing that I had a grandchild on the way..."

Felicity gasped and Katya gave him a scolding look in reply. She turned toward Felicity and said, "Ignore him...When you are ready we will be here to celebrate the little Prince's or Princess' arrival, My Sweet." Katya patted Felicity's hand and squeezed it gently.

Felicity smiled at Katya and said, "I will miss you."

Katya's eyes twinkled as they began to tear up and replied, "Not as much as we will miss you."

Anatoli walked over to Felicity and gave her a big hug. "Come now, Little One. Let us eat our breakfast and then save any tears for later, yes?"

Felicity nodded her head and everyone began eating. When they were done, they made their way to the waiting vehicles to take them to their plane. 

Anatoli stopped them and said quietly so that Katya could not hear, "I would prefer that we should say our good-byes here, instead of the airport."

Both Felicity and Oliver were unexpecting this and exchanged looks of concern between themselves.

Anatoli continued, "It has not escaped my notice that Peter has not reported in now two days." He then directed his gaze at Oliver and said, "You must find out what has caused his lack of communication. I do not have to tell you that this is completely out of the   
ordinary for Peter."

Oliver nodded his head in agreement and walked over to Katya to say good-bye.

Anatoli took the opportunity to give Felicity a big hug, causing her to wince slightly. "Your light shines brightest my child when Oliver is around. Never let anything diminish it." He kissed her on each cheek and added, "Any decisions you have had to make are not yours alone to live with, Little One. When those burdens become too heavy, share them with Your Love. He will always be by your side to help you weather any storm you face."

Felicity could feel fresh, warm tears begin to fall down the side of her face. Did Anatoli know what had happened with Havenrock? Was this his way of giving her absolution? Was that what she was looking for? She wrapped her arms around Anatoli and sobbed on his shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered as he patted her back.

"Now, now, child," he answered. "We must get going so say your good-byes to Katya and then we must be leaving." He took out a handkerchief and wiped away the tears from her eyes. "We will be back in time for the Feast of the Epiphany and will celebrate the holidays together then."

Felicity smiled and reminded him, "I'm Jewish."

Anatoli nodded yes and said, "I know. It just means that besides the 8 gifts we will get you for Hanukkah, you shall also get 12 gifts from us to celebrate the holidays. Now go and say your good-byes to my wife before she decides to take up permanent residency in Star City."

Felicity kissed Anatoli's cheek, walked over to Katya and wrapped her arms around the older woman. "Thank you for all that you have done, Katya."

Katya smiled at Felicity and said, "It is I who needs to thank you, My Dear. You have given my life new purpose and I can see the wonderful influence you have had on both men in my life." Katya reached for Felicity's right hand and twisted the ring on her finger.   
"This means you are the most important member of the Bratva on American soil once Anatoli and I depart back for Russia. Every member of the Brotherhood understands this and will gladly lay down their life for you if necessary. Use them as you need to and never underestimate your power, Felicity. We would not have chosen you if we did not believe in you." And with a final kiss on Felicity's cheek, Katya maneuvered into the waiting limousine and closed the door to the car.

Oliver wrapped an arm around Felicity as they waved at the departing caravan of vehicles heading toward the airport. As the cars left and the front gates closed, Felicity's phone began to beep at her. She looked down and saw that her program had completed its search. She looked up at Oliver, who simply nodded his head and told closest guard that he and his wife were going inside the house for a while and that the men should walk the perimeter and plan for their guests to arrive at Noon. The guard departed and   
Felicity and Oliver walked as quickly as possible without causing any unnecessary attention to their destination of the mini-lair in the garage.

Once there, Oliver opened the secret entrance and they walked into the room. Felicity walked over to her work station and pulled up the results of her program. Oliver moved in tight to peer over her shoulder at the screen, but Felicity was scanning through the different documents very quickly reviewing the results. He sat down in the chair next to her and asked, "What's the verdict?"

"This is impossible," she replied. "There's no way this could happen..."

Oliver reached for Felicity's hand and asked, "What did you find?"

Felicity removed her eyeglasses and rubbed her eyes. "The money transfers all originated from an IP address in Havenrock." She opened her eyes to see Oliver's disbelief on his face.

"How is that even possible?" he asked.

Felicity swallowed her tears and sniffled. "I...I don't even know how to answer that right now." She wiped her eyes and added, "All I can tell you is that there is no way that Lyla was involved in this. The time stamps of the first transaction occurred when we were with Lyla at A.R.G.U.S. after the attack at the park with Sara." She pointed back at the screen and added, "You can see from the pattern in the code here and here, that whoever set this up is really good. They have created a trail of digital breadcrumbs to make it   
look like Lyla's the one responsible for what happened, but you can see that the transactions never originated from a location where Lyla has been." Felicity turned around to face Oliver and said, "Someone is trying to pit us against our friend and make her take   
the fall for everything that has happened to me."

Oliver leaned back in his chair and replied, "Then we need to talk to Lyla about everything that you've found out today and see what she thinks."

Felicity nodded her head, printed out some of the documents and then they headed back upstairs to wait for Lyla and Sara to arrive.

As punctual as ever, Lyla and Sara arrived promptly at Noon at Avalon. The guards let both of them in and Oliver and Felicity met them in the foyer. "I had no idea Malcolm had such a large estate," Lyla said as she greeted her friends. 

Oliver merely nodded his head at her and Felicity gave Lyla a nervous smile before a quick hug and then a big twirling hug for Sara.

"Come on Sara, Auntie Ti-Ti has a lovely garden she wants to show you outside," cooed Felicity to the toddler.

Oliver fell into step with Lyla as they followed Felicity outside into the garden. "We need to talk, Lyla," was all Oliver said to her.  
Lyla glanced to the side at Oliver and nodded her head. While Felicity and Sara played on the grass, Oliver and Lyla sat down at the patio table Raisa had loaded with sandwiches, salads and beverages for the little group. "I take it Felicity found the unexpected wire transfers?"

"How do you know about that?" Oliver asked with a tone containing a thinly veiled threat.

"Hey, I've got people too who are good. Not Felicity Smoak good, but still pretty good," replied Lyla. "Only one person knows that all money transfers get flagged and routed to me upon completion. By the time I was informed about the transfer in Russia, it was too late to warn you and Gavriil Asimov had made his move."

"Did you know that the transfer originated in Havenrock?" Oliver asked.

Lyla's shocked reaction told him everything he needed to know. "That's not possible, Oliver. Havenrock was decimated. Nothing could have survived that blast."

"Well, someone went to considerable trouble to make sure it looked like the transfer originated in Havenrock," Oliver replied. Then he added very coldly, "Is there anyone on your team from that night who has any sort of connection to Havenrock?"

Lyla shook her head no. "No one that I can think of Oliver, but I can give Felicity remote access to the A.R.G.U.S. personnel server if she would like to conduct the search."

Oliver nodded his head in agreement and waved Felicity back over to where they were sitting. 

She and Sara came bounding over laughing as Sara ran straight into her mother's arms. "That little one is going to be a track star some day!" Felicity exclaimed.

Lyla and Oliver both gave her a quick smile. 

Felicity could tell something happened and said, "How about I see if Raisa can watch Sara for a little while so we can talk?"

Raisa came outside a few minutes later to take care of Sara while, Oliver, Felicity and Lyla headed down to the mini-lair. 

Lyla looked around at the room and asked, "I guess Malcolm wanted to be prepared for anything. Any other tricks or surprises you find after moving in?"

"Not that we're aware of," replied Felicity as she moved to her workstation.

Lyla gave Felicity the back door access codes to the A.R.G.U.S. personnel server so that she could start cross referencing any mention of Havenrock in the A.R.G.U.S. personnel database. While they were waiting for the search to continue processing, Felicity asked Lyla, "Have you heard from Agent Torres?"

Lyla looked at Oliver and Felicity, shook her head no and said, "I thought she was reporting to you daily?"

"We haven't heard from CC in two days, Lyla" Oliver replied, then added, "Nor has Peter Dashkin reported in to us either."

Lyla whipped out her phone to place a call. "Turn on Sidewinder's tracker." She ended the call and opened an app on her phone. "All A.R.G.U.S. agents have a bio-tracker injected into their spinal fluid so that we can track their location." As she waited for the   
blip to appear on her screen, Oliver's phone rang. 

It was the guard he had sent to CC's apartment to check on Peter Dashkin. Oliver shouted something in Russian and then looked at Felicity and Lyla. "Peter was found in CC's apartment, bound, gagged and drugged. The guards are bringing Peter back her to Avalon." Then he looked directly at Lyla and added, "CC is no where to be found."

Lyla's phone beeped at her and she looked down at it. CC's bio-tracker came on-line and showed that she was in her apartment. "That's not possible. The tracker clearly shows that she is there, Oliver."

"Look Lyla, my guard is telling me that only Dashkin is there. Agent Torres is in the wind."

"Oh my God!" Felicity exclaimed pointing at her computer monitor. Lyla and Oliver turned their heads toward her. She looked up at both of them and said, "How did this get missed?"

"What is it, Felicity? Tell us!" Lyla demanded.

She turned back to read what she found on her screen. "Agent Torres' foster family moved away from Star City last year after the bio-weapon was released and settled for a slower paced life in Havenrock." Felicity replied. Then she sat down and cross-referenced the last known address for the family, looked up at Oliver and said, "The wire transfer came from their home. It's been Agent Torres all along who is wanting me dead!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...did you see that one coming????  
> Please let me know what you thought.  
> Okay, so I was able to update much sooner than expected, sooooo....please do not expect another update before the Arrow Season 5 premiere. :-)  
> It's likely that the next update will not be until next weekend, so thank you so much for your patience,  
> We're almost done with the story!!!!! :-)


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Plans are made and confidences are restored...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> The artwork for this story can be found on my tumblr page and was done by the wonderfully talented VictoriaOlicity. Thank you!  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Oliver slammed his fist onto the table next to Felicity, making her jump in her seat. How could he have allowed this to happen, he thought? He looked over at Lyla and asked, "Is there a back-up tracker on every A.R.G.U.S. agent that can be activated?"

Lyla shook her head no. "I was told that the spinal tap was the most effective way to keep tabs on all of our agents regardless of their location." She looked at Felicity and said, "CC is brilliant. I'm not surprised that she engineered a way to deactivate it in her spine and create a false signal in her home." Lyla looked over at Oliver and said, "I can have a tactical team here in fifteen minutes to establish a perimeter and help protect Felicity."

Oliver shook his head no. The last thing he needed was a bunch of A.R.G.U.S. agents combined with his men with the Bratva. "I have my own bodyguards here that will work. I'd prefer that you use the detail you want to assign to protect Felicity at City Hall." He looked at Felicity and added, "We're going to have to increase your protection level anytime I am not with you or you are outside of the compound."

Felicity sat back in her chair, placed her glasses next to the keyboard and rubbed her eyes. This was all her fault. Her split second decision that decided the fate of Agent Torres' family was all on her. She looked at Oliver and Lyla and asked, "She had plenty of opportunities to get me alone and kill me at City Hall in my office, why didn't she just get it over with then?"

Lyla replied first, "Sidewinder is methodical and likes to plan out every detail. It's one of the reasons why she has been the point person on several missions I've assigned to her overseas." Lyla looked at both of them and continued, "I'm sure that garnering the attention of Agent Dashkin wasn't part of the original plan. His interest in her may have altered her timetable and thrown her off course. The fact that she didn't kill him shows that she may have feelings for him that we could use to our advantage with her." She looked at Oliver and asked, "Are they bringing Dashkin here now?"

Oliver nodded his head yes and added, "I expect them here anytime now." He looked at Felicity and said, "We'll figure this out, Babe, together."

Felicity looked up at Oliver and nodded her head in agreement. Earlier, Anatoli reminded her that she was not in this alone and that she should look to Oliver to share her burden. For so long she had been on her own. But with Oliver, she knew as long as he was there, she would be alone no longer. She reached her hand out to him and he took it. She stood up, holding his hand, cupped his cheek to bring his head down, letting their foreheads touch and replied simply, "Together."

The three of them left the mini-lair and headed upstairs. Lyla went to check on Sara in the kitchen with Raisa and then was going to make arrangements to beef up security at City Hall for Felicity. Oliver and Felicity entered into the study and sat down together on the loveseat in the room.

Oliver stood as Peter came into the room with three of his men. "This is all my fault, Captain," Peter said with his eyes downcast. "I allowed my focus to be swayed by a woman's affections and as a result, the Princess' life is in danger. I should have realized what   
CC was up to and stopped her." Peter kneeled in front of Oliver with his head bowed and continued, "I will accept your punishment as just retribution for my failures to protect our Princess."

Felicity, still seated on the sofa, watched Oliver closely to see what his reaction would be. If there was one thing the Bratva did, it was punish failure. However, she knew that Peter was not at fault here. They had all been duped by Agent Torres. She feared that the wound to his heart would be bigger than the wound to his pride. She knew that Oliver had already demonstrated a different sort of leadership with the men he commanded. She only hoped that it was a leadership style he planned to continue.

"Peter," Oliver said as he held out his hand to the kneeling man, "You have not failed your mission, the Princess is alive and still by my side."

Peter looked up at Oliver in surprise, especially at the outstretched hand being offered to him. Oliver shook his hand at Peter once. Peter reached for it and stood up. "But I allowed my feelings to blind me about Agent Torres true intent, Captain. I should have known she was a threat to your Beloved," he replied.

"We were all duped by Agent Torres, Dashkin," Oliver admitted, "and we bear the responsibility evenly." Oliver looked at the other men in the room and added, "Peter Dashkin is an honorable man and has proven himself to be a worthy and loyal guard to the Princess. He will continue to serve as her personal guard and I look to all of you to help us protect my wife from harm."

The men in unison each shouted, "Yes Captain!"

Felicity beamed at her husband. He had dealt with Peter honorably and allowed him to save face in front of his men. She stood up and moved next to her husband. She held her hand out to Peter and said, "You have served my family and I well, Peter Dashkin.   
Now I look to you and your men to help my husband keep us all safe."

Peter gave Felicity a bow and replied, "You do me and my men a great honor, Princess. You have our unwavering loyalty."

Felicity smiled and looked up at Oliver who had a grin on his face. His smile reinforced her thoughts that she had done well by Peter and assisted in restoring his confidence as her bodyguard.

Oliver let Peter know that Lyla Michaels was there visiting when everything occurred. He let him know that Lyla would have A.R.G.U.S. take point on Felicity's protection at City Hall and in public. However, his men would be in charge of protection at the compound. "The only exception, Peter, is that you are still Felicity's primary bodyguard no matter where her location," Oliver clarified. "Lyla is still unaware of your connection to the Bratva, but she may suspect something now."

"I understand, Captain," Peter replied.

Oliver's phone rang at that moment. He looked down and saw Mark Francis' face appear on his screen. He held it up to show to Felicity.

"Oh, frack!" she exclaimed. "The Mayoral Debate prep is in a few hours."

Oliver nodded his head and answered the call, "Hello, Mark...Yes, we'll be there...uh-huh...yeah, we're going to have to talk about that tonight...no, Mark, there will be no discussion about that..I understand...See you in a couple of hours." Oliver hung up his phone and placed it back in his jacket pocket. "Peter, Mrs. Queen will be attending my debate prep tonight at the campaign headquarters. In our absence, please make sure your men boost their patrols and secure the compound in our absence. You will be traveling with us in one hour to debate prep so make sure your men understand what needs to be done in your absence."

Peter acknowledged Oliver's orders. He let Oliver know that he would meet them in the foyer in one hour and then turned on his heels to lead his men out of the study.

Felicity looked up at Oliver after the door had shut and asked, "Wouldn't it be better if I stayed here...at the house...so I can finish my research?"

Oliver shook his head no and replied, "Babe, whenever possible, I want you with me until Agent Torres is caught. Besides, I thought you might be wanting to provide me additional insight from those reports you get from infrastructure rebuild team so that I can have something to reassure the voters of Star City that Mayor Queen is on the job." 

Felicity tilted her head at him and knew that the real reason was that when it came right down to it, the only person Oliver trusted to truly protect her was himself. She didn't want to add to his stress level prior to the debate so she acquiesced to his wishes and agreed to join him. 

There was a knock on the door and then it opened. Lyla strode in and said, "We have a problem."

Oliver wrapped his arm around Felicity and brought her in close to him.

Felicity replied, "What's happened?"

"My apartment has been compromised," answered Lyla. "It gets swept for communication devices once a week, which CC had been in charge of. Needless to say, I had a team head over and sweep it today and they found a bevy of hidden tech all over the place."   
Lyla shook her head in disgust. She knew that it was how CC was able to attack Felicity while she was babysitting Sara a few weeks ago.

Felicity reached out her hand and touched her friends arm in comfort. "This is not your fault, Lyla. CC had us all fooled."

Lyla pursed her mouth and nodded her head. She said, "I have my normal detail and an A.R.G.U.S. nanny on their way here to pick up Sara and I and take us back to HQ to monitor the search for Agent Torres."

Oliver asked, "Are you sure you don't want to stay here? We've got plenty of room."

Lyla shook her head no and replied, "Thank you, no. Sara has her own playroom at A.R.G.U.S." Then Lyla chuckled, "I bet that would have never happened if Amanda was still here."

Oliver smiled and Felicity looked unsure what to do. Amanda Waller was never someone Oliver spoke highly of, but she knew that he had been able to count on her assistance when absolutely necessary. "We're heading out to my campaign office for my debate prep in about an hour. The rest of the weekend will be spent here at the compound so we can continue to prepare for the debate on Monday."

Lyla asked, "And what about your other job? Are you two planning on patrolling any time soon?"

Felicity looked to Oliver and he shook his head no. He replied, "There will be no more patrolling until after Agent Torres has been caught. As far as we all know, she is unaware that I am the Green Arrow and I'd like to keep it that way." He looked at Felicity for confirmation and she gently nodded her head in agreement.

"Well, if you change your mind, let me know. I'd be willing to send out back-up for you," Lyla replied.

Oliver nodded his head, but knew it wouldn't be necessary. The priority right now was Felicity's safety and capturing CC Torres. 

There was a knock on the door. It was Raisa letting them know that Lyla's guards were there to pick them up and take them back to A.R.G.U.S. headquarters. As they walked Lyla and Sara out of the house, Felicity reassured her that they would make sure to keep each other updated on any developments regarding Agent Torres.

After Lyla left, Oliver and Felicity returned inside and headed back to the study. "What did Mark talk to you about, Oliver," she asked.

Oliver sighed. "Mark wants you to attend a luncheon benefit for the Star City Children's Fund tomorrow," he replied. "But I told him no and that there would be no further discussion about it."

Felicity frowned. She knew that he was trying to protect her by keeping her in his own bubble, but she needed to be out there helping him to secure the votes he needed to continue being the Mayor of Star City. "Oliver, I think that I should attend the luncheon tomorrow," she said quietly. "That charity is chaired by Council Member Brigg's wife, Dorothy. You and I both know that Carter's mother and likely Carter himself, will be in attendance."

Oliver knew she was right, politically speaking. She should be in attendance at this event. It's what politician wives do. But he never wanted to think of their marriage as a political pairing. There's was a true partnership based on a genuine friendship that developed into something so much more. He smiled as he thought about how much they had worked at their relationship and how much stronger they were because of that.

Felicity saw him smile and she said, "I have a great idea! Why don't you come with me? Carter will never expect it and you and I both know that you will have those ladies eating out of the palm of your hand!"

Oliver looked up and shook his head no. The last thing he wanted was to be out in such a public area with Felicity right now. He wanted them to be home, protected and more importantly safe. Oliver knew he had to turn this suggestion around. He looked down at Felicity, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a very passionate kiss. "How about we stay home tomorrow, spend the entire day locked in our bedroom and I do anything you want me to do that brings you pleasure?" he suggested.

The waves of anticipation that drove through her body had her craving his body and wanting her needs sated. But she knew what he was doing. He was trying to deflect what they should really be doing and bribing her with mind-blowing passionate love-making that she knew would curl her toes. Well, Mr. Queen, she thought to herself, two can play at that game. Felicity wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back down to her. She gently tugged on his lower lip and countered, "How about instead, we go to the luncheon together, I wear that purple dress with the heart shaped cut-out in front you like so much and I let you speculate as to whether or not the reason I do not have any panty lines is because either I'm wearing your favorite green thong or nothing at all?"

Oliver couldn't hide the groan he got from the mental image she had created for him. Get it together, Queen, he thought. She's doing this to get her way, instead of thinking of her safety first. Time to double down now, he thought. "What if instead, I call a friend of mine to come pick us up and fly us to the Doctor Who Convention in Coast City this weekend. I know that you've been wanting to go to it since you've missed it these past few years."

Felicity's eyes glimmered with excitement. How did he remember about the Con she had been wanting to attend, she wondered? Oh, he was good, very good, she smiled to herself. But no, in this instance, the right thing to do was to stay in Star City and campaign on behalf of her husband. There would be plenty of other Cons that she could attend. "You almost had me there, Queen," Felicity responded. "But you and I both know that the right thing to do is to attend that luncheon and work hard to secure those votes you need to continue being the Mayor of Star City."

Oliver frowned. He knew she was right. It really was what they needed to do, but all he could think about was the logistical nightmare security would mean for them to be able to attend the event.

Felicity continued to smile at him. She could see him working through all the security details in his mind. She knew that it was the right call to make. Oliver just needed to make that same decision too.

"Alright, Felicity," Oliver answered. "I give in. We'll both attend the luncheon tomorrow, but you will be by my side the entire time, do you understand?"

Felicity rewarded him with her biggest smile, nodding her agreement and said, "Absolutely, honey! I won't leave your side the entire time we're there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're still winding down and almost at the end of the story.  
> I hope you are enjoying the ride and thank you for joining me on this journey!


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Oliver and Felicity attend the Star City Children's Fund Luncheon...stuff happens... ;-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> The artwork for this story can be found on my tumblr page and was done by the wonderfully talented VictoriaOlicity. Thank you!  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Now remember, Princess, we will have two guards at each entrance of the building," Peter explained while they were being driven in the SUV to the luncheon.

Felicity nodded her head in understanding and looked over at Oliver who continued to rub his middle finger against his thumb. She reached over and place her hand on his knee. "It's going to be okay, Oliver," she told him.

Oliver turned his head to look at her, placed his hand on top of hers, then looking at Peter asked, "Did your men sweep the perimeter and the ballroom prior to our arrival?"

"Yes, Captain," Peter reassured him. "The General Manager of the hotel is Bratva and has given us access to everything, including the hotel's security camera system." Peter looked both Felicity and Oliver in the eye and said, "We will be ready."

While Felicity gave Peter a small smile, Oliver simply nodded his head once, gently squeezed her hand and then took a moment to stare out the car window on the drive back into Star City. It was times like this that he missed John Diggle. Even though he knew that Peter and his men would lay down their lives for Felicity, there was still that shadow of doubt that kept creeping its way back into his thoughts. With John, however, that doubt didn't even exist.

Upon arriving at the hotel, the car dropped them off in the front. Peter lead the way followed by Oliver and Felicity and the rest of their protection detail. As they made their way into the ballroom, Oliver held Felicity's hand tighter as they slowly worked the room, meeting and greeting the event's attendees. Out of the corner of her eye, Felicity noticed Mavis making her way through the crowded room to where they were standing. Felicity looked up at Oliver and whispered, "Mavis."

Oliver looked up and saw his campaign's Communication Director making a beeline towards them. "Peter," Oliver said, "Mavis Temple is on her way, no doubt wanting me to go and speak to someone here at the event. If I am forced to leave Felicity's side, you are to stay with her, understood?"

"Yes, Captain," was Peter's only reply.

"Mr. Mayor, Madam Deputy Mayor" Mavis said smoothly, "I'm so glad you both could attend this event." Mavis looked over her shoulder to a group of ladies who were surrounding Carter Bowen, then returned her gaze to Oliver. "Your opponent has been here for thirty minutes working the crowd, Sir. Are you ready to do likewise?"

"That's why I'm here," Oliver replied with a little too much enthusiasm to sound sincere.

Mavis cocked one eyebrow up at him, but said nothing in return. Instead, she looked at Felicity and said, "It's important that before the event starts the two of you work opposite sides of the room and then as the luncheon begins, you can meet at your assigned table next to the front of the stage."

Oliver shook his head no, "Not acceptable, Mavis. I told Mark last night that Felicity would be by my side at every moment of this event today."

Felicity placed a calming hand on his arm and said, "Oliver, it'll be okay. I'll just be on this side of the room while you go over there and start charming those wealthy and lovely constituents of yours." Then she turned her head behind her to make sure Peter was still there. Peter gave her an affirmative nod. She returned her gaze to Oliver and added, "Besides, Agent Dashkin will no doubt be able to help me provide answers about all the new police trainings he's been working on with the Chief of Police. I'm sure that will help ease your constituents' minds about their safety in Star City." She let go of Oliver's hand and wound her arm around Agent Dashkin's. 

Her action startled Peter and he looked at Oliver for his approval. 

Felicity's face told him everything he needed to know. That challenging smile she was giving him meant that she knew he wasn't happy, but wouldn't cause a scene because they were in a public place and that she would more than make up for it that night with him. Well, two can play at that game, he thought to himself. He reached for Peter's other arm, leaned in and said something quietly in Russian, to which Felicity's eyes momentarily flared with desire. Peter nodded his head in agreement and Oliver gave Felicity a wink and walked away from her with Mavis to the other side of the ballroom.

Felicity shivered and Peter asked, "Are you cold, Princess?"

She blushed and answered, "No, just your Captain pushing my buttons, so to speak." She paused for a moment and watched Oliver meet and greet Carter and the circle of ladies he had been entertaining. She smiled and said, "Come on Peter, let's go press some flesh."

Peter turned beet red at her comment and Felicity winced. "Ugh!" she groaned. "I'm sorry, Peter. It's just a figure of speech meaning we're going to have to go shake some hands." She removed her arm from Peter's and started to walk toward the other side of the room, hoping that she hadn't embarrassed herself too much in the eyes of her bodyguard.

Oliver and Felicity worked the room like a pro. At every opportunity without trying to appear rude, Oliver would steal a glance at his wife to note her location and the people she was meeting with. Whenever she was with someone he wasn't familiar with, he would keep his hand in his pocket to prevent anyone from seeing him rub his fingers together. He also appreciated the fact that Peter never stood more than a foot away from her. Whenever Peter would catch Oliver's glances, he always gave him a quick, approving nod of the head. Oliver looked up at the stage and saw the emcee approached the podium there. He leaned into Mavis and said, "The program is getting ready to start. I better find my seat."

Mavis gave him a tight smile and replied, "There's a chance they may ask you to say something now that you are here instead of having Mrs. Queen speak."

Oliver looked questioningly at Mavis. "Did Felicity know that she was supposed to give a speech?"

Mavis tilted her head at him in confusion and answered, "Yes...I emailed her talking points to her yesterday. Didn't she mention it to you?" 

Oliver frowned and simply replied, "No." He made his way to their table and found Felicity already sitting down. She was reviewing a series of note cards with bullet points listed. Oliver greeted the ladies at the table, flashing his famous smile at them and sat down as close to his wife as possible. He whispered in her ear, "How come you didn't say anything to me about this speech you are supposed to give?" 

Felicity continued to look down at her cards and whispered, "Because I knew that you would get all "Grr" on me and I need to do this for your campaign." 

Oliver knew better than to forbid her from doing this. Instead, as the emcee announced her name, he motioned for Peter to leave his post by the main entrance door and then he nodded his head toward his wife.

Felicity rose to her feet as there was the customary polite applause at the announcement of her name. She walked over to the stage and noticed Peter as he made his way towards Oliver. 

Peter gave Oliver a nod and followed her as she walked to the stage, then took up his post next to the stairs leading to the podium.

As Felicity walked up the stairs and toward the podium, the emcee smiled at her, shook her hand and whispered, "Knock 'em dead," then proceeded stage right without a second glance back at her. The phrase the emcee used momentarily startled her. Not   
everything is about Havenrock, she reminded herself. She paused, took a deep breath, placed her speech on the podium, lowered the microphone to her level and said, "Welcome to the Annual Star City Children's Fund..."

Oliver kept his eyes on Felicity as she made her speech. He could tell that whatever the emcee had told her had shaken her, even though she was masking it very well. He watched as Peter continued to scan the crowd while Felicity remained on stage. 

"...so thank you for donating to such a worthy cause. It is through your support that the children of Star City will have a better and brighter future." Felicity smiled out at the crowd as everyone clapped and cheered for her. She looked at Oliver who was smiling and clapping loudly, then she saw his face fall and he started to run towards her. She turned to look at Peter who leaped on stage gun drawn, as Oliver pushed her down, covering her body with his. 

The sounds of breaking glass and shrieks of terror from the attendees weren't loud enough to block out the distinctive blasts of shots being fired toward where she lay. She could here the piercing screams from the crowd of mostly women trying to make their way out of the room. The bullets flying punctured the podium and the floor surrounding where they laid. She heard more gun shots being fired from close by, which she assumed was coming from Peter's gun. Several of Peter's men surrounded Oliver and her where they were on stage. Peter ran over to Oliver and motioned for them to follow him off the stage so they could get out of the line of fire. As they ran to the stage exit, two of Peter's men got hit and fell. Felicity tried to turn her head to see who it was, but   
Peter and Oliver forced her to stay looking forward and running. Peter was shouting into his comm-link in Russian. They made their way through the Hotel's kitchen, then laundry facility to where their SUV was waiting for them. Once inside, Oliver pulled Felicity into his arms and rubbed his hands all over her checking for signs of any blood or bruising. 

"I'm alright, Oliver," she reassured him. She reached up, cupped his face and repeated, "I'm alright, Oliver." Felicity leaned into him held onto him tightly. She heard Oliver shouting angrily in Russian at Peter, who was seated in the front passenger seat. Peter nodded his head in agreement to whatever Oliver had said. 

Oliver pulled her tightly into his embrace. Once again, someone had attacked his wife in front of his very eyes. Enough was enough, he thought with a menacing look on his face. If the Bratva is unable to protect her from harm, then he knew who would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who do you think Oliver will turn to in order to protect Felicity????
> 
> Word of warning, now that the new seasons of all the CW shows are on, I'm probably not going to get a chance to update until next weekend. 
> 
> Thank you all for your lovely comments and support! It truly means a great deal to me! XXOOXXOO


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> The aftermath of the campaign event... stuff happens... ;-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> The artwork for this story was done by the wonderfully talented VictoriaOlicity. Thank you!  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

As soon as they reached Avalon, Oliver escorted Felicity to their bedroom, while Peter made sure that the men had begun to secure the perimeter and double check the grounds and house on the estate. Once in their room, Felicity excused herself to the bathroom. Oliver watched pensively as his wife closed the door and he could hear her start the shower. He sat on the bed, reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, dialing the first number that came to mind. 

After the first ring, a familiar voice answered, "Hey, Ollie!" causing him to smile in relief. He replied, "Hey, Speedy. I need your help."

Thea Queen had left Star City after everything had happened with Damian Darhk. She needed time away from the chaos and conflict that seemed to follow her wherever she went in her hometown. She had made it perfectly clear to her brother when she left a few months ago that she needed time to figure out what she wanted from her life. To his credit, Oliver had let her go without questioning why or where or when she would come back. His implicit understanding of this need she had was one of the reasons why she adored her brother so much and was also why she knew it had to be something really serious for him to contact her during her sabbatical from a vigilante way of life. Thea let out a heavy sigh and asked, "Is Felicity okay?"

"Physically, she's not hurt," was Oliver's reply. He paused for a moment to think about that response. He hadn't even thought about how everything that had happened recently could be impacting her mentally. 

"Then why do you need my help?" Thea questioned.

"Because, I don't have anyone left I can trust to help me protect my wife," Oliver admitted for the first time out loud. 

Thea's stunned silence spoke volumes. She was not expecting her brother to be so brutally honest about how he was feeling. She knew by his admission that things must have gotten seriously bad back home. She had purposefully avoided all forms of media so as not to impinge on her self-reflection time. It appeared that her reticence to keep up with the news and social media had caused her to miss more than just her Brother's and Felicity's life since getting married. Sighing, she knew what she needed to do. "I can be back in Star City in three hours."

Oliver finally exhaled the breath he had been holding in waiting for his sister's answer. "Thanks, Speedy," was his reply. Then he added with a bit of trepidation, "Um, you may not know this yet, but we're living at Avalon now."

"So you're the crazy buyer who paid that outrageous amount for that monstrosity?" Thea replied with a laugh. "Whomever your real estate agent was didn't do you any favors on the purchase price."

Oliver chuckled, "I'll explain it all when you get here. See you in a few hours." They ended the call and Oliver sat down on the bed. He watched as Felicity came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. She looked much more relaxed and he was feeling much more calm about everything knowing that his sister would be here soon enough to help. His demeanor changed when he saw her arms. He couldn't hide the frown that appeared on his face when he noticed the bruising on her arms where he had grabbed her and pinned her beneath him on the stage. 

Felicity walked over to him. She knew that he had seen the fresh set of bruises on her arms. She cupped his face and kissed him gently, his arms circled around her waist pulling her in closer to him. She leaned back in his arms and said, "I'm going to get dressed and then we're going down to the mini-lair to figure out what the police have discovered."

Oliver nodded his head in agreement. "I should let you know, Thea is on her way home."

Felicity tilted her head to the side and scanned her husband's face. "Is she coming home willingly?"

Oliver pursed his lips and replied, "I didn't have to resort to blackmail, Babe. I simply asked for my sister's help and she was willing to give it."

"Okay," Felicity answered, "then we'll have to come up with a plan once we have a better idea of what evidence has been gathered so far." She stepped out of Oliver's embrace and walked over to the closet where she changed into a pair of jeans, t-shirt and cardigan sweater.

Oliver, similarly changed out of his suit and into a pair of jeans, white t-shirt and Felicity's favorite blue Henley. 

The sight of Oliver in her favorite color on him, besides green, made her heart swell and her cheeks flush. She walked over to her husband and wrapped her arms around him, resting the side of her face against his chest, closed her eyes and allowed herself to just listen to the steady beating of his heart. Its steady tempo reminding her that she was not alone in this and that together they would find a to stop Agent Torres before anyone else lost their life. She looked up at Oliver and confided, "I don't want anyone else to die on my behalf, Oliver."

Oliver wrapped his arms around her tighter, kissed the top of her head to try and soothe her, replying, "We're going to do our best Babe, but you and I both know that we all make our own decisions about who we choose to protect and right now, I choose to protect you, whatever the cost may be."

She knew his words were meant to calm her fears, but they merely amplified them. She believed him when he said that he would protect her at any cost and that petrified her. Hadn't there already been enough death and destruction for a lifetime? How much more collateral damage pile up around them? She shook her head no, prepared to argue with him, but he placed a solitary finger over her lips.

Oliver looked down at his wife and countered, "You are my light and my always, Felicity. You know you have only to ask me and I will do it. But I cannot promise you that one of our guards won't lay down their life for yours."

She knew he spoke the truth. Katya and Anatoly both had been quite clear on the subject of her protection. She only hoped that it would not come to that. She took in a deep, calming breath, exhaled and nodded her head in agreement. "Well, I can ask that they be careful at least, right?"

Oliver smiled at her, leaned down, kissed her gently on the lips and murmured simply, "yes."

They made their way down to the first floor office to check in with Peter and find out what he knew. Once inside, Oliver looked at Peter and demanded, "I want to know everything the Police have on this shooting. I don't think this was the work of a true professional." He didn't look at Felicity when she audibly gasped at his assertion.

If Oliver didn't think it was a professional, did this rule out CC, Felicity wondered to herself. Could there be someone else out there who wanted to see her dead? 

Peter nodded his head in agreement, looked at Felicity and said, "We'll figure this out, Princess," and headed out of the office without waiting for a response.. 

Oliver looked down at his beeping phone, silenced it, looked at Felicity, and said as calmly as he could, "That's the fourth call from the Chief of Police I've ignored. They are going to want to try and set up guards here at the house and will want to speak to you."

Felicity nodded her head in agreement. She could tell Oliver was beyond angry, he was looking vengeful. The last time he looked like this was right after she had been shot. In the calmest voice possible she asked, "What are you planning, Oliver?"

His answer was to pull her into him tight, flush against his body so that he could feel her heartbeat next to his and rest his chin on top of her head. He knew he was prepared to kill whomever it was who did this latest attack. Every instinct in his being told him this wasn't the work of Agent Torres. The shooter had missed her...as if it was deliberate...as if it was merely a warning. But, if it weren't Agent Torres, then who was the other player involved...and why? He stood there with Felicity in his arms for a moment longer, when his phone rang again. He showed her the phone and answered it this time. It was Anatoly.

Felicity looked up at Oliver as he was speaking in Russian to Anatoly and mouthed "I need to use your computer." Oliver reluctantly let her go, but followed her as she sat in his chair and turned on the computer at his desk. Felicity connected the computer remotely to the server in the lair and started tracking the information that the police had collected from the shooting all while Oliver continued talking on the phone. She discovered that Peter's men had non-life threatening wounds from the shooting and had been transported to the hospital where Police were waiting to question them. She looked up at the doorway, when a brief knock was followed by Peter coming back into the room. 

Oliver had just gotten taken to the woodshed by Anatoly over the phone and was not happy about it. Anatoly had threatened to send the majority of his personal guard back to Star City, but Oliver had promised him that it would all be over by the time they would get there. He turned his annoyed gaze toward Peter and growled, "What?!"

Peter didn't even flinch at Oliver's tone of voice. Instead he answered, "The Chief of Police is here wanting to speak with both of you about what happened."

Oliver grimaced and turned his head to look at Felicity. She rose from her seat, looked at Peter and replied, "Send him in."

Peter walked back out to get their not completely unexpected guests.

She reached for Oliver's hand and said, "Let's have a seat and speak to the Police. Perhaps, they have a bit more information that hasn't made it into their database."

Oliver looked at her in awe. His wife never ceases to amaze him. Not more than an hour ago, she was giving a speech and being shot at, yet here she is ready to handle any questions the police may ask her. "You are remarkable," he told her, stressing every word with all of his love and admiration for her.

"You have your moments too," she replied cheekily as they sat down on the couch together and Peter led the Police Chief and a detective into the room.

Once the Police where seated, they asked Felicity why she thought she was shot at today. She let them know that she had no idea why anyone would target her. At that moment, Oliver casually mentioned that he believed it was someone interested in forcing him to drop out of the Mayoral Race. Felicity tried her best not to react when Oliver gave that possible explanation. She knew this would then send the Police off to question Carter about what had happened. She wasn't sure what tree Oliver was barking up at, but she was willing to play along. "I think threatening the wife of anyone would make someone reconsider any and all actions they were about to make, Chief. Don't you?"

The Police Chief squirmed in his seat. He wasn't sure what was going on in the Queen Household, but from the amount of manpower he had observed patrolling this estate, he was fairly certain the limited police force he had at his disposal was dwarfed in comparison. He looked at his detective and said, "Come on, let's go check out the Bowen Campaign." They each reached out to shake Oliver's and Felicity's hands and then they departed without a glance back, as Peter escorted them out of the house.

As soon as Peter closed the office door, Felicity turned to face Oliver and asked, "Do you really think that Carter was involved with this?"

"I don't think we should rule anyone out at this point, Babe," he responded honestly. Oliver stood up and walked over to the window looking out over the gardens. He could remember a time when before Tommy's Mom had died, how much mischief he and   
Tommy had gotten into when they were young. As they grew older and Malcolm had left his son to his own devices, the two young men had gotten into a very different, hedonistic type of mischief and he grinned at the memories coming back to him. The armed patrol he witnessed walking through the well-manicured lawn and gardens broke him out of his reminiscing. He turned around to ask Felicity something when he heard a knock at the office door. He moved with practiced ease to stand between the door and Felicity and answered, "Enter!"

Peter opened the door and walked straight to where they were standing. "We're waiting on the ballistics test from the bullets recovered at the scene and I have one of my inside men on the police force keeping tabs on the Chief's interrogation of Carter Bowen and his campaign staff."

"Good," he replied and then added, "I want to survey the men and our current ammunition stockpile." He looked at Felicity and said, "The Princess will resting in our bedroom for the remainder of the day." 

She was about to protest, when she saw Oliver's slight tilt of his head down at her, so she knew he wanted her to play along and then sneak down into the mini-lair to continue her investigation. She raised both hands over her head, stretched and agreed,   
"Yeah, getting shot at really makes a girl sleepy," adding an over-exaggerated yawn, to which Oliver frowned. Then she said, "I'm just going to head on upstairs." She got up on her tip-toes, whispered in Oliver's ear that she was heading downstairs, kissed his cheek and tried her best to nonchalantly walk out the office door."

Once out in the hallway, she nodded her head at the guard posted by the front door and kept walking. She babbled a little to loudly about getting something to eat and headed down the hallway toward the kitchen, but instead of turning toward the kitchen, she opened the side door and made her way out to the garage, opening the secret door to enter her new domain. As she reached to turn on the light in the room, she heard a faint rustle of clothes and the sound of metal being unsheathed. She turned to run when a hand reached out of the darkness, grabbed her covering her mouth and whispered in her ear, "How are you enjoying my home, Miss Smoak?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo????? What did you think of that ending?????  
> I'm not going to lie, I've been dying for this to finally happen in the story.  
> We'll find out soon enough if it's something good or something bad..


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone makes their presence known...stuff happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the odd post. I don' have my normal file with me as I'm traveling.  
> I don't own any of these characters from Arrow.  
> A few I've created myself.  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! :-)

Chapter 39

“Oh wait, where are my manners?” Malcolm scoffed at her while maintaining a firm hold covering her mouth. “…I understand congratulations are in order…Mrs. Queen…or should I call you Princess Felicity?” Malcolm sneered, released her from his grasp and turned on the lights for the room.

Felicity turned around to face the man who had alternately assisted and betrayed them so many times over the past four years, she had stopped counting. She looked around and saw that he was there alone. “Why are you here, Malcolm?” She quizzed. “Feeling a little lonely without your League Minions doing your bidding anymore?”

Malcolm, looking thoroughly displeased, answered, “Oh, I still have my own resources, my dear.” He walked around the small room, assessing their changes. “I just wanted to see what you had done with the place since you and Oliver’s army…”

“You mean MY army, Merlyn,” Felicity corrected. 

“Taking this whole ‘Princess’ thing a little too seriously aren’t we, Felicity?” Malcolm countered.

“Not at all,” she retorted. “Merely beginning to accept the reality of my current situation.”

A nervous look flashed across Malcolm’s face, but he challenged, “I doubt your Russian comrades above are aware or would approve of you and your husband’s nightly activities?” Felicity couldn’t prevent the hesitating look she gave him causing him to smirk, “So they don’t know…”

“What do you want, Malcolm?” she deflected.

Malcolm stalked closer to where she stood in the small room. “Would you believe me if I told you I want to help?”

It was Felicity’s turn to scoff at her unexpected visitor, “You already know the answer to that one. Why are you really here?”

“I’ve been monitoring my daughter’s activities…” Malcolm replied causing Felicity to snort. Then he continued, “When I saw that she had purchased an airline ticket back to Star City, I knew she was returning to help you deal with whoever is trying to undermine Oliver’s Mayoral campaign.”

A-ha, she thought to herself. He’s for once unaware of the role Agent Torres is playing in this deadly game of cat-and-mouse and thinks it’s all about Oliver’s campaign for Mayor. “The only one who gains from Oliver not being officially elected Mayor is Carter Bowen, unless you think there’s someone else out there who has more to lose?” she challenged.

“You’re not originally from Star City, Felicity, and I certainly do not have time to give you a political history lesson about the ins and outs of our locally elected officials,” he sneered. “Suffice it to say that having the City run by a husband and a wife consolidates power a bit too much for the Establishment, even if that power is ruled by Queens.” 

Malcolm gave her a cool, calculating look causing Felicity to assess each word he had just communicated to her. She knew there was always an unspoken message one was meant to decipher whenever Merlyn made a statement. Why couldn’t he just spell it out instead of making her treat the conversation like one big cryptogram puzzle?

“What would be the amusement in that?” Malcolm queried with a sly smile.

Felicity groaned and then it dawned on her. All along their adventure at City Hall, the one opponent they consistently had to battle was Council Member Briggs! 

As reality bloomed across her features, Malcolm gave her a smug smile, “Unlike your husband, Felicity, you are both beautiful and brilliant. I can see that you have worked out the mystery as to who was behind the shooting at the event earlier today.”

“If you knew all along who was behind this, why not just come forward and help us expose Briggs for the criminal he is?” Felicity demanded.

“That’s not how it works and you know it, Princess,” griped Merlyn. “My priority is and always will be to protect my daughter…”

“Ha!” scoffed Felicity.

Malcolm continued, “So as long as she is here, then I will remain in Star City to ensure her safety.”

“I don’t think Thea feels the same way,” chided Felicity.

“What you think doesn’t matter,” challenged Malcolm. “What matters is that at least I am here for my daughter whether she thinks she needs me or not.”

They heard the mini-lair door open and Malcolm immediately moved into a defensive stance. Oliver entered the room saw Malcolm in a defensive position and quickly moved in front of where Felicity stood. She reached out to give him a reassuring squeeze and whispered, “He says he’s here to protect Thea.”

“Hello to you too, Oliver,” Malcolm acknowledged, “and congratulations on your recent marriage.”

Oliver asked Felicity, “Are you okay?”

“Of course she’s okay, Oliver,” replied Malcolm. “I come in peace,” he added with a smile.

Oliver frowned and Felicity added, “Malcolm believes that it was Council Member Briggs behind the shooting yesterday.”

Oliver turned his attention to his wife and uttered in disbelief, “What?!” The flare of anger and vengeance screamed from his body. He knew before he went after Briggs, he would have to make sure Merlyn’s accusation was true. He turned his head to look back a Malcolm and demanded, “Where’s your proof?”

Malcolm grinned. “Oh, I have nothing specific.” He looked at Felicity and continued, “But simply looking at who would have the motive and the means easily pins this on our illustrious Council Member Briggs…plus, I may have heard a rumor or two about someone looking to contract an assassination attempt on Mrs. Queen and thought you might call your sister in to help you protect Felicity after the attempt occurred.”

“And you couldn’t make a courtesy call about what you had heard earlier to warn us?” Oliver hissed.

Malcolm ignored him and added, “Seeing as I found out that Thea booked the next flight back to Star City today after what happened proved me correct.” Malcolm looked at Oliver, “The first sign of trouble and you called your sister. Bringing her back home to join you on your selfish crusade, with no regard for her own well-being…only the well-being of the person who means everything to you.” 

Oliver was ready to protest, when Felicity wrapped her arms around him and held him tight to her. 

“And you,” Malcolm turned his attention back to Felicity and taunted, “I’ve seen you put Briggs in his place more than once at a City Council meeting, Deputy Mayor Queen. You certainly have a penchant for making enemies, Felicity. Is there anyone else we need to worry about?”

Felicity narrowed her eyes at Malcolm. He’s fishing to see what else we know or suspect, she realized. “So are you going to need a cot down here or do you have a hovel you can crawl back into during your stay?” she quipped. 

“As much as I would like to take up your grudgingly made offer of hospitality, Mrs. Queen,” Malcolm retorted, “I have accommodations waiting for me elsewhere. While you’re waiting for Thea to arrive, you may want to start researching Brigg’s bank accounts, both here and off-shore. You might find something interesting there.” 

“If you know something, Malcolm, then just tell us,” growled Oliver.

“I have faith that your clever bride will figure out all you need to know about, Briggs, Oliver.” He smiled at Felicity and advised, “You may want to get started, Princess. With any luck, you’ll have enough evidence against the Council Member to turn over to SCPD to arrest him and charge him with your attempted murder, before Thea’s plane lands.” With that, Malcolm left them in the mini-lair to begin their investigation on Briggs. 

Oliver looked down at his wife and asked, “You think Malcolm is telling us the truth about Briggs?”

Felicity nodded her head yes, conceding, “I think he is, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do everything I can to double-check his assertion that Briggs was behind the attack today.”

“What do you need me to do?” Oliver offered.

Felicity smiled up at him, kissed him gently on the lips and whispered, “Let me set-up my banking program and I’ll be upstairs in a minute.” She moved over to her keyboards and started working her magic.

Oliver loved to watch her do her thing. She looked so confident, so regal, sitting on her throne in front of her loyal subjects that served her. He knew Anatoly had made her a Princess, but she was his Queen. There was nothing he would not do for her. All she had to do was ask. But he knew she hadn’t asked to become the target of a man so blinded by the power he wields in his little fiefdom of Star City. He had asked her to join him at City Hall to help him continue his mission on two fronts, one in the light of day as Mayor of Star City and the other at night, serving as every criminals’ worst nightmare, the Green Arrow. He felt a pair of eyes staring at him and turned his head in her direction. 

Felicity smiled at him. He had been so deep in thought, he hadn’t noticed when she stopped typing because her program was now doing its job. “We should have enough evidence collected on Council Member Briggs once the program has finished doing its job and if we’re lucky, it may be complete before Thea’s plane even lands in two hours.” 

Oliver smiled back at his beautiful wife. “Come on, Babe. Let’s head back upstairs and make sure everything’s ready for Thea’s arrival.” He reached his hand out to her and she clasped it as she stood up from her chair. They continued walking hand-in-hand out of the mini-lair and back up to the main floor of the house. “I already alerted Peter that my sister was coming and would be staying with us for the next few days.”

Felicity looked up at Oliver, “I can’t imagine he was too happy about that.”

Oliver chuckled, “Oh, he was pretty pissed about it, but knows better than to question what I tell him in front of the men. I let him know that she would drive herself to the house and to let her in upon her arrival.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to go and pick her up yourself?” Felicity asked.

Oliver shook his head no. “I’ve got a phone call with Mark and Mavis to discuss whether or not to cancel the Mayoral Debate on Monday night.”

Felicity stopped in her tracks. “You aren’t seriously thinking of pulling out of the election are you?” she questioned.

“No,” he replied, “but I’m definitely not going to go through with the debate if Carter’s main supporter has placed on target on you.”

“Oliver,” she began, but he continued.

“Felicity, I’m going to suggest that instead of allowing there to be a public audience, we do the debate on a sound stage at Channel 52’s station. They can broadcast it live from there and it would just be me, Carter and the moderator present, besides the filming crew. You would be here at the house with Thea and Peter for protection.”

Felicity shook her head no. “At least you’re not cancelling it, but Hon, this was your campaign’s workers opportunity to come and support you in a public place and for you to convince those undecided voters that you deserve to be elected Mayor of Star City. Besides, the program should be done with its search and have collected all of the data necessary to prove Briggs was behind the shooting today. The SCPD will have enough evidence to get a warrant and arrest him by this time tomorrow.”  
Oliver was ready to argue with his wife, when Peter approached them as they entered the main hallway of the house.

“Sir, we have some news on the person behind the shooting today,” he informed them. My sources tell me that someone recently placed a bounty on Mrs. Queen’s head with the intent to harm, not kill. The request was strange and unusual, so an unsuccessful contractor who bid on the job made sure my source let me know that the person responsible was a man named Briggs.”

Oliver and Felicity exchanged knowing glances and then turned to look at Peter. Felicity replied, “We know who Briggs is, but we want the SCPD to handle the situation with him because he is a member of the City Council and the main supporter of Oliver’s opponent’s campaign.”

Peter looked at her and Oliver in shock. “Forgive me, Princess, but that is not how we deal with someone who dares to threaten you.” He gave Oliver a glance, looking for concurrence, and could see the conflict on his face. 

Oliver knew what Peter and Felicity were expecting of him and both were diametrically opposed to one another. “Your orders, Peter, are to shadow Briggs to see what his next actions are. The Princess will remain here at Avalon where we can best protect her from harm, while we finish gathering the evidence we need for the police to be able to make his arrest and successful prosecution.” Oliver stepped forward in front of Peter and stressed, “It is imperative that you think like an FBI Agent and not Bratva, Peter. Can you do that?”

Peter looked Oliver directly in the eyes and inquired, “Is that what the Princess requests of me or my Captain?” 

Oliver knew it was a direct challenge to his authority that Peter was making by trying to drive a wedge between him and his wife. Oliver felt all of his muscles flexing with anger as he stood straighter in front of the significantly larger man.

Felicity seeing the tension building between Dashkin and Oliver yelled at them both, “Enough!” Both men turned their heads and looked at her in surprise. “Now that I have both of your attentions, I want to remind you both that I will speak on my behalf.” She turned to Peter and clarified for him, “Yes, we will have the evidence necessary to put Briggs away for the crimes he has committed. However, it is important that he pay for his crimes in a court of law and not in the back alley of City Hall. If you are unable to fulfill my husband’s orders, then I will find someone who will. Do I make myself clear?”

Peter nodded his head in reluctance agreement. “As you command, Princess.”

Felicity nodded her head in acknowledgment, but did not smile. She then looked at Oliver and said, “I will accompany my husband to all public events as normal. Any time I am not needed at a public event then I will remain here in my home under the protection of the Bratva. Do you agree with this plan?”

Oliver looked like he was ready to argue with his wife, but from the steely gaze she was giving him, he thought better of it. He looked at his wife and replied, “As you wish.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think of Malcolm.  
> We're starting to resolve some storylines...  
> I likely wont post again until sometime next weekend.  
> We're finally going to Disneyland and also making a stop at Stan Lee's Comikaze too!  
> I hope this chapter makes sense. Please let me know what you think.  
> Kindness goes a long way to instilling inspiration.  
> Cheers!  
> V.


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Thea arrives...Oliver starts to think about something seriously...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”
> 
> The artwork for this story was done by the wonderfully talented VictoriaOlicity and you can see it on my tumblr page. Thank you!
> 
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write. (sorry my dears, I didn't really proof this chapter as I wanted to get it posted ASAP.)
> 
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.
> 
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Forty

Just as they were finishing dinner, Peter entered the kitchen and announced that his sister had just pulled up to the estate gates and would be arriving shortly. Oliver turned to Felicity and smiled, then they all three made their way to the main foyer to greet Thea.

Thea walked up to the house cautiously, eyeing the armed guards posted at the entrance.

One guard nodded his head at her and reached over to open the door, ushering her into her father’s former home. She took a quick look at the other guard who gave her no reaction. He simply maintained his eyes looking forward, searching the great expanse of lawn in front of the house as if expecting a threat to pop out the ground at any moment.

“Thea!” Oliver exclaimed as he walked toward his sister and gave her a hug. As he pulled her into his embrace, he whispered in her ear, “Thank you for coming, Speedy.”

Thea hugged him tighter and softly replied, “We will protect Felicity.” Then she pulled away and walked over to Felicity, giving her a tight hug and said, “Hey, Sis!” She felt Felicity stiffen. Thea pulled back a little to look at Felicity and asked, “Is it okay if I call you Sis?”

Felicity relaxed a little and answered, “Sorry. It’s just that I’ve never been a “Sis” to anyone before…”

Thea’s eyes got a devilish twinkle in them and replied, “Well you are now.” Then looking at Oliver, continued, “And it’s about damn time, too.”

Oliver blushed a little, catching the silent laughter in Peter Dashkin’s eyes before recomposing his features and said, “Thea, I’d like to introduce you to an old family friend of Felicity’s.” He walked over toward Peter and said, “Thea, this is FBI Agent Peter Dashkin. He’s been assigned to the investigation of the person who’s been behind the attacks on Felicity.”

Thea gave Agent Dashkin a long look up and down, assessing him thoroughly. She looked at Peter and inquired, “Is that the cover you’re using Agent Dashkin while here in Star City?” Then she looked at Oliver and continued, “Or are you finally ready to tell me about how you got involved with the Bratva?” nodding her head toward Peter.

Oliver’s face fell and he took in a deep breath. Felicity stepped away from Thea and wrapped her arm around Oliver’s waist. She looked at Thea and answered for her husband, “There’s a lot to catch you up on Thea. Why don’t we go into the study and talk?”

Thea simply nodded her head in agreement and followed as Felicity lead the group into the study. Peter remained standing while Oliver and Felicity sat in the little couch opposite the chair she chose for herself. “Who’s going to start?” she asked looking at Oliver and Felicity both.

Felicity leaned forward and said, “Three years ago, we took a trip to Russia to rescue Lyla. While there, Oliver introduced me to a man names Anatoly Knyasev, who was very helpful. A few months ago, someone began stalking me. Little by little, the threats became more violent and direct. Anatoly offered his assistance and we accepted. However, his offer came with an unexpected outcome.” Felicity paused for a moment, looked at Oliver who simply nodded his head. She continued, “Anatoly is a very powerful man in Russia. He and his wife came to visit us shortly after we got married and announced that I was being named their heir.”

Thea gave her a quizzical look, looked at Oliver and asked, “So is that how you got involved with the Bratva? Through Anatoly?”

Oliver shook his head, “Yes,” was his reply. “Before I was rescued from Lian Yu, I spent some time in Russia working for Anatoly and became a member of the Brotherhood then.” Oliver looked up at Peter, who still stood by the door guarding it, and paying close attention to what was transpiring within the Queen Family. Oliver looked back at his sister and continued his story. "Now that Felicity is Anatoly's "daughter", she is the highest ranking member of the Bratva on American soil. That's why you see so many armed guards on the property, to keep her safe."

Thea looked over her shoulder at Peter and asked, "So how do you fit into to all of this Agent Dashkin?"

Peter gave Oliver an inquiring look and Oliver nodded his head at him. "I'm here as Mrs. Queen's personal bodyguard," he responded.

Thea raised an eyebrow at him, turned back around, looked at Felicity and quipped with a laugh, "So does this mean that you're some kind of Russian royalty now?"

Oliver saw Peter frown and Felicity smile as she answered, "Yep!" and popped the "p" for emphasis. "I'm now a Bratva Princess..." she shrugged her shoulders and blushed.

"Okay..." Thea started, then looked at Oliver and asked "So what happens now?"

"Now," he responded, "I would like for you keep Felicity company until we have finally dealt with the threats on her life."

"Well, that sounds easy enough," Thea replied. "What about tall, blond, Bratva behind me? Is he going to agree to this too?"

"There is nothing to agree, to Miss Queen," Peter answered smoothly. "Where the Princess goes, so do I."

Thea laughed, "Yeah, we'll see about that one..." She looked at Oliver, stretched her arms over her head and yawned, "Okay, Ollie, I think I've heard enough about this 'plan' for tonight. How about you show me to my guest room and then we can all catch up with each other in the morning."

He knew when he was getting ready to be cornered and that Thea had every right to want to ask more questions without Peter listening to their conversation. He looked at Felicity and said, "Babe, why don't you finish what you were working on here in my office earlier, while I show Thea to her room?"

Felicity nodded her head in understanding and answered, "I've got to finish checking on the financial reports from Palmer Tech and also review a few reports that the City Staff have sent me on the Public Works rebuild, so yeah, I'll just park myself right here, in your office, not going anywhere, except to your chair and computer to catch up on my work, because I'm the Deputy Mayor, yeah..."

Thea smiled at her sister-in-law and said, "Sis, please, don't ever change."

Oliver just shook his head at his wife's rambling. He looked at Peter and said, "You should go and catch up on your sleep. Felicity is safe here in my office and I'll be back to join her in a few minutes."

Peter gave Oliver a curt nod of his head and left the room.

Oliver lead his sister out of the room to show her to the guest room Raisa had set up for her. Once they were inside Thea's room, his sister pounced on his with question after question about the Bratva, what was really going on with Felicity and why hadn't he contacted her sooner to come and help?

Oliver held up both hands to slow Thea down. "Speedy, I'll answer all of your questions, but first you need to know that Malcolm knows that you're here."

Thea frowned at the mention of her biological father's name. "I'm surprised he would even show his face around her after everything that has happened. Did you tell him that I have no use for him?"

"He and your sister-in-law both warned me that you have no need of me," replied Malcolm as he materialized out of a darkened corner of her room.

Thea whipped out a dagger and threw it straight at Malcolm's heart.

He easily caught it before it could pierce his clothing. Malcolm smiled in approval, but chided, "I see your time away has dulled your senses, Thea. The dagger should have at least gotten close enough to me to tear a hole in my shirt."

Thea retorted, "I knew you were there, I just didn't want to leave a mess of your blood all over Felicity's beautiful rug where you stand. I needed to see if your reflexes hadn't dulled in your dotage."

"Malcolm, you need to leave my house, now," Oliver growled.

He snickered, "Don't you mean your wife's house?"

Thea placed a hand on Oliver's arm, then walked toward her father. "You are not needed here. I do not need you here."

Malcolm focused his attention on her. "I know you don't need me. I taught you well and you have more than proven that you can take care of yourself." He handed her back her dagger, which she re-sheathed and reminded her, "You are my daughter and I will always do whatever is necessary to protect you." He looked over at Oliver and then back at Thea and questioned, "Has he told you about the threats that exist against your new sister-in-law?"

Thea vouched for her brother, "Oliver has told me all I need to know. Now, what I do need is for both of you to leave me alone so that I can rest and be at my best tomorrow while I'm keeping Felicity company while you," she gave Oliver a stern look, "do everything possible to end this threat to Felicity's life." Then she swiveled her head back to Malcolm and added, "And you need to give me space and leave me the Hell alone. I don't need your protection and all the unnecessary drama that can result from it."

Malcolm scoffed at her, "My protection of you is non-negotiable, Thea. You are my last living relative. There is nothing I would not do for you."

Thea snorted at his declaration. "Then, go...go and find out who is this person who is threatening the life of my sister and put make sure they get the punishment they deserve. I can protect Felicity here in order to give you and Oliver the time you need to find out who is behind everything and bring them down."

Malcolm looked at Oliver and asked, "Has your clever wife been able to discover anything after the lead I gave you earlier?"

Oliver shook his head no, "Not yet. I was about to go back downstairs and see if she's found anything."

Thea yawned, "Well, now that that's settled..." she looked at Malcolm and ordered, "You go and deal with the threat against Felicity since you seem to know more than you are willing to divulge..." Then she looked at her brother and said, "and you go downstairs to your wife, make sure that she doesn't over work herself and then hurry up and get started on my niece or nephew I was hoping for as a birthday present next year. I'm going to bed."

Malcolm sneered at his daughter's comment as he quietly slipped away and out of the house.

Oliver blushed at Thea's request for a niece or nephew.

She walked over to him, placed both hands on his shoulders and teased, "Okay, maybe not by my birthday, but definitely by next Christmas..."

Oliver gave his sister a kiss on the forehead and wished her good night. Maybe Thea was right, he wondered as he left her bedroom and headed downstairs to his wife. It would be nice to have an addition to the family by next Christmas...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think????  
> Were you expecting that to happen???  
> I was going to have this story wrapped up by now, but I really have discovered a little something that I want to mine for a bit more...I hope you don't mind and that you will continue on this journey with me.  
> Thank you for your kind words and support,  
> Vanessa


	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> The Green Arrow is back in action...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> The artwork for this story can be found on my tumblr page and was done by the wonderfully talented VictoriaOlicity. Thank you!  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Forty-one

Felicity looked up from the computer as Oliver re-entered the study. She noticed the grin on his face, tilted her head to the side and quipped, "If inviting your sister for a visit was going to put you in such a good mood, I would have done it sooner."

Oliver flashed a dazzling smile at his wife, walked around the desk and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her from his chair. "Babe, you always put me in a good mood." He dropped a gentle kiss on her lips and added, "It's just nice having the two women I love most in this world here with me, is all." Do I dare tell her what Thea said about wanting a niece or nephew by next Christmas, he wondered? Do I   
tell her that I'd like that to happen too? 

"Well, I'm glad you're in a good mood because I've got a feeling that Malcolm sent me on a wild goose chase," Felicity complained. Oliver frowned at her assertion and she continued, "I've found the wire transfers a little too conveniently from an off-shore bank account in the Cayman Islands registered under Brigg's wife's name."

It was Oliver's turn to tilt his head to the side and ask, "Do you think that someone is framing Briggs to make it look like he's the one after you?"

Felicity took in a deep breath and sighed, "At this point, anything is a possibility, Hon. I mean, I know that we have ruffled a few feathers with the positions we've taken on the various issues coming before the City Council, but what could we have done that was so heinous as to drive Briggs to try and kill me?"

Oliver wrapped his arms around Felicity tighter. He vowed, "No one is ever going to hurt you again, Baby."

Felicity hugged him back and replied, "Oliver, I love that you say that, but remember, I understand the risks that come from the life that we lead." She leaned back in his arms to look directly into his eyes.   
"And I know that you will always do everything within your power to protect me as I will do everything within my power to protect you too." She could see the concern and love emanating from her   
husband's face. She moved both of her hands down to intertwine with his, when the computer began loudly beeping at her. Felicity immediately sat back down in the chair and her fingers once again began flying over the keyboard. "Someone is trying to erase their digital footprint regarding the Brigg's bank account."

"Can you trace the signal?" Oliver asked which garnered him a snarky look from his wife. "Sorry, I know you can trace the signal, I meant can you send me coordinates for the location. I'm going to go see who's responsible for this." 

Felicity nodded her head yes, "Oliver, this is going to take me a minute or two to get a lock on the signal's origination."

He smiled at her and replied, "I'll need a few minutes to get into my other suit." Then he gave her a quick kiss, left the study and silently made his way down to the mini-lair, thanking their foresight to have moved his Green Arrow suit and his bike there.

Once geared up and having successfully avoided the guards patrolling the perimeter of the property as his motorcycle left the property, Oliver said, "Talk to me, Felicity."

"Your not going to believe where the signal is coming from, Oliver," Felicity said in surprise. "It's coming from the loft."

Oliver made his way even faster to their former home. Once there, he quickly assessed the location to see if there had been any signs of forced entry. Seeing none, he made his way out to the balcony and entered the loft from there. He made his way into the open space, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Overwatch, there's nothing here."

"That's impossible," Felicity replied. "The signal is definitely coming from that building."

"Are you sure it was coming from this apartment?" Oliver questioned in his Arrow voice over the comm.

"Give me a minute to pull up the residents' names for the building," she countered.

After a moment, she replied, "I totally forgot Carter Bowen moved into the apartment building."

Oliver paused for a moment. How in the world is Carter Bowen involved in this? "Overwatch, are you saying that the signal is coming from his apartment?"

"Yes."

Oliver could feel his entire body tense with an anger so malevolent, he hoped he would be able to control himself enough not to kill Carter Bowen if he was responsible for the attempted murder of his wife. He made his way to the balcony below and saw that the apartment was entirely dark. As he entered the loft, he saw clothes strewn all over the room, papers and photographs peppered every flat service around him as well. Oliver reached a gloved hand for one of the photographs. It was a candid photo of Felicity sitting on her couch in the loft, sipping a beverage from a mug, while she was looking at something on her laptop. As he sifted through the photos, his fury became more and more unstable. Why the hell did Carter Bowen have so many photos of Felicity in his apartment? Photos that were obviously taken surreptitiously and carefully documenting all of her daily activities.

"Green Arrow, what have you found?" Felicity questioned, breaking Oliver out of his homicidal thoughts.

"Nothing good," he growled. "Bowen is not here. Can you see if maybe he's at the hospital?"

"Give me a moment to pull up their security cameras," Felicity replied. After a moment she answered, "Negative. I don't see him on any of the cameras and I've pulled up the doctor roster and it looks like   
Dr. Bowen has taken a leave of absence from the hospital to focus on the last week of campaigning before the election takes place."

"I'm coming back and will fill you in on what I've found." Oliver slammed the balcony door on his way out and rappelled down to where his bike was waiting for him. Oliver sped away as fast as he could, needing to get back to Avalon and Felicity as soon as possible. He couldn't understand what motive Carter would have to go after Felicity the way he has. As a doctor, wasn't he supposed to protect human life and not try to take it? As he entered the mini-lair, Felicity was waiting for him. He hopped off his bike and strode over to her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight to him. 

"What did you find, Oliver?" Felicity asked, her voice full of worry and concern for what he must have discovered to get this reaction out of him.

"He had photos of you, Babe. Photos of you inside the loft. Photos of you sitting in your office. Photos of you walking down the street. He's the person responsible for whomever is stalking you." Oliver stepped away from her and slammed his bow down on the table. He turned back to face his wife. "How the hell am I supposed to debate this man Monday night in front of television cameras, when all I'm going to want to do is snap his neck?"

Felicity approached her husband and placed both hands on his chest, right by his heart. "You will face off against him as Mayor Oliver Queen. You will win the debate and you will defeat him on election day. That is what you are going to focus on for now." Oliver took a step back and opened his mouth to say something, when Felicity placed a gentle finger across his lips and continued, "Carter is likely in hiding, doing debate prep and has no idea that we are on to him. We'll leave the evidence that we've discovered for the police to find and let them bring him to justice."

Oliver wanted to argue with his wife. Carter was a bigger threat than she thinks, he thought. He knew what he needed to do, even if Felicity wouldn't agree with what it was. He looked at his wife and simply nodded his head in agreement. "If that's what you think is the best course we should take," he replied as he stepped away from her and moved over to start removing his Green Arrow suit and change into what he had been wearing earlier that day.

Felicity gave her husband a side-eyed look. "I know you don't mean that, Oliver, and I wish you would tell me exactly what you are planning to do."

She knows me to well, he thought to himself. "I want Peter to send a strike force to track Carter down and watch his every move until the police apprehend him," he admitted.

"And do you really plan on letting him live long enough to get prosecuted for his crimes?" she queried, her voice peppered with doubt.

Oliver snapped, "This man should be dead for what he has done, Felicity." He walked back over to where she stood and continued, "The fact that I am here with you and not still out there hunting him down like the filthy animal he is should tell you that I am at least willing to allow for justice to be served."

"And if it's not, do you plan on unleashing Bratva vengeance on him?" she accused him angrily.

Oliver countered smoothly, "Someone once told me, 'Vengeance is Justice', Felicity."

She looked at her husband with disappointment. Has the Bratva influence moved his conscience further down a darker path than she wanted for him, she wondered. He needs to know what I think about this. "You will not kill him," Felicity stated calmly.

"I may not kill him, but he may get killed," Oliver answered just as calmly. 

She knew by his answers that he was doing his best not to lie to her in order to humor her request. Felicity wasn't sure what about it upset her the most, the fact that he was contemplating killing Carter or the fact that he would allow someone else to do it. She knew she would have to find a way to reason with him about this and influence his ultimate decision about what his reaction would inevitably be.   
"You know that there can be another way to deal with him," she began. "I hope that you will honor my wishes and allow the police to do their job."

"I honor all of your wishes, Felicity," was his solemn reply.

She searched his eyes hoping to see the light from within his soul shining back at her. She nodded her head at him, turned away and left the mini-lair. As she made her way back to their bedroom, she knew that his mind was made up. Carter Bowen was a dead man, whether he did it or ordered someone else to do it, and there was nothing she could do to change his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was pretty inspired this weekend and managed to squeeze this puppy out of my head and onto the screen.   
> The next update likely won't happen until next weekend...but you never know... ;-)  
> Thank you for continuing on this journey with me.  
> Please drop me a line and let me know what you think... :-)


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Oliver has chat with someone important. Peter makes an odd request...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> The artwork for this story can be found on my tumblr page and was done by the wonderfully talented VictoriaOlicity. Thank you!  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write. (FYI 0 I didn't really proof-read this chapter. Sorry.) :-(  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Forty-two

As Felicity left the mini-lair, Oliver heard a familiar beeping sound come from one of the computers. He looked down and saw a skype request from John Diggle. Oliver smiled, opened up the pop-up window and said, "Hey, Digg..." The knowing frown on John Diggle's face was all he needed to see to know that he needed to make sure that he and Felicity got back on the same page regarding Carter.

"I know that tone of voice, Oliver," John responded, "and I know that it can only mean that you and Felicity have had some sort of disagreement."

Oliver chuckled. His friend knew them all too well. "Have you spoken to Lyla?"

John looked over both shoulders before answering. "You understand that just because I'm in Afghanistan, doesn't mean that I don't know what's been happening in my hometown, right?"

Oliver nodded his head in agreement. "I sort of hoped that you might have some sage words of advice for me."

John laughed. "The best advice I can give you is get to wherever Felicity is, tell her you're sorry and that you'll listen to her, no matter what it is she's asking you to do."

Oliver grimaced at his friend's words. "I have no problem apologizing John, I just can't do what she's asking me to do."

"Well, then you better start working on how you are going to be begging for forgiveness and preparing for when she refuses to grant it," John frowned. Oliver opened his mouth to interrupt his friend, but   
John countered, "You always think that there's only one way to solve a problem, Oliver, but hasn't your experiences, heck, our experiences finally taught you that there is always another way?"

"But she's being targeted by two different people who are still out there in the wind and I can't find them!" Oliver argued.

"Wait, what do you mean two different people," John asked. "I thought we were only dealing with Torres?"

"I just got back from Carter Bowen's loft and found it a mess with photos of Felicity in the loft, at her office and all over Star City. Felicity tracked down a signal that was coming from his apartment. We think that he's the one who hired someone to target Felicity at the charity event and was framing Council Member Briggs for it."

"Why the hell would Bowen do that?" John wondered aloud. "I mean the dude is rich, a doctor and has practically been a poster boy Boy Scout for his entire life. Something doesn't add up here?"

Oliver paused for a moment to think about what John had just said. Carter was a doctor, but he wasn't a computer expert, CC was...Oliver looked at his friend and said, "I think I need to go back to Carter's apartment to investigate a little further."

"Don't go it alone, Oliver," John replied. "At least get Felicity on the comms or call Lyla for back up."

Oliver just nodded his head yes at his friend and answered, "Yeah, sure."

"I know when I'm being placated, Oliver," John retorted, "and this is not a time or situation for doing that."

"Yes, I'll wake up Felicity and ask her to get on the comms, okay?" Oliver replied hoping it sounded sincere.

John just shook his head at his friend. "Be careful, Oliver."

"You too, my friend." Oliver responded and ended the call.

Oliver donned his suit once more and headed out into the wee hour of the night...

Felicity woke up with a start when there was a knock on her door. She looked around the room and noticed that Oliver's side of the bed was undisturbed. He never came to bed last night? She quietly made her way to the foot of her bed and asked, "Yes? Who is it?"

"Apologies for the disturbance, Princess, but is the Captain with you?" Peter asked from the other side of the door.

Felicity looked around the room and walked toward the bathroom to find it empty. "No, he's not here," she replied, "but I can go downstairs in a moment and see if he's in the study?"

"I've already looked there and he's no where in the house..." Peter replied. "Could he have left for a campaign meeting or debate prep without informing you?"

"I'll meet you in the study in ten minutes, Peter," she replied. Felicity raced to threw on some clothes, went to the bathroom and then picked up her phone. There were no missed calls or messages. She knew she needed to get back down to the lair to see if Oliver spent the night there out of stubbornness or something else. As she was about to exit her room, her phone rang. It was Lyla. She answered,   
"Lyla, what's up?"

"I've got Oliver, Felicity," Lyla replied. "He's been wounded, but he'll be okay."

Felicity gasped, "Can I speak to him?"

"Hey, Babe," came out of a sluggish sounding Oliver.

"What happened? Where did you go? Who did this to you?" Felicity's voice growing louder with each question.

Lyla took back the phone and informed her, "Felicity, I'm taking him back to my apartment to get patched up and then I'll bring him back to the house as soon as we're done."

"What happened, Lyla?" She desperately wanted to know.

"Johnny called me about a Skype session he had with Oliver and that he was heading over to Carter Bowen's apartment to look at something. He didn't think Oliver was going to tell you, so he asked me to go check things out. When I got there, Oliver was passed out on the floor." She heard Lyla directing Oliver to not fall asleep on her, then she added, "I think he might have a concussion, Felicity."

"Do whatever you need to keep him awake, Lyla. I'll see you when you get here."

Felicity quickly headed downstairs to the study and saw that Peter was standing in the room, looking pensive. He stood at attention as she entered the room.

Felicity gave him a dazzling smile to greet him. "Agent Dashkin, Oliver headed out early this morning for a few meetings and then he was going to swing by A.R.G.U.S. for an update from Director Michaels."

"I understand that you and I do not know each other very well, Princess," Peter uttered while giving her an appraising look, "but I would hope that after all we have been through, you would at least be honest about your husband's whereabouts."

His comment made her stand still in her tracks. She hadn't expected that level of bluntness from her bodyguard. She schooled her features to match the seriousness on his face. She slowly approached Peter. "My husband is with Director Michaels and they are tracking down a lead at this moment." She walked around her husband's desk and sat in his chair. She focused her gaze on Peter, steeling her gaze and continued, "He did not inform you because he felt you should be here, guarding me from any and all threats."

Peter folded his arms across his chest and faced her. "Any word on their result with this new lead?"

"I'm sure he'll inform us upon his arrival." Felicity replied smoothly. "I expect them both here shortly." Then she moved the keyboard on the desk closer to her and started typing, watching the screen in front of her. 

Peter hadn't moved an inch from where he stood. He kept watching her from his position in the room.

Felicity paused for a moment and looked up at Peter. "I'm not moving from here, Peter. You can go and make sure that the guards are patrolling the perimeter like they should be."

Peter smiled wickedly. "Do you doubt our men's commitment to your protection, Princess?"

"Quite the opposite, in fact," she retorted. "I merely want to make sure that they have all been reassured that my faith in them is not wavering. Their loyalty to me and my family is appreciated and I will make sure that Anatoly and Katya are kept abreast of their actions."

"You honor my men with your thoughtfulness, Princess," Peter responded. "I will make sure that they are informed of your satisfaction with their performance." He took a few steps toward her and added,   
"But if you would be ever so kind, it would definitely increase their morale if you would perhaps join me on my rounds and personally thank them for all of their hard work on your behalf?"

Felicity maintained her placid expression. What is Peter up to, she wondered? She looked back at her screen, quickly logged out of the computer system, then slowly rose from her chair and walked around the desk to face him. "I should change into something more appropriate than a pair of yoga pants and my husband's favorite Henley."

Peter bowed to her, "Thank you, Princess. I will wait for you at the bottom of the stairs."

Felicity exited the study and ran back up the stairs to her room. She quickly dialed Lyla, mumbling "Pick-up, pick-up, pick-up..."

"Michaels," Lyla answered.

"Lyla, how is Oliver doing?"

"He's doing better. He got hit on his head pretty hard and has a sizeable lump on the back of his skull. Do you want to talk to him?"

"Yes, please."

"Hey, Sweetheart, I'm doing better," he told her.

Felicity sat down on her bed. "Oliver, Peter was asking me where you were and I told him you and Lyla were discussing a lead back at A.R.G.U.S." She shifted on the bed and mentioned, "plus, he would like   
for me to walk around the property to thank the men for their hard work and long hours they are putting in right now. He seems to think that it will improve morale around here if I do that."

"Don't leave the house, Baby," Oliver ordered. "Lyla and I will be there in fifteen minutes." Oliver paused for a moment and said something to Lyla that Felicity couldn't understand. Then he continued, "Tell Dashkin that you want to wait for me to come back and join you. That you think that the men will be more pleased to have the approval of not only their Princess, but their Captain as well."

There was a knock on her door. "Princess, are you ready?" Peter asked from behind the closed door.

Felicity shouted at him, "Almost. I'll be down in a minute."

"Delay him, Babe. We're ten minutes out," Oliver cautioned.

"I'll be there shortly," she added with a yell. Then she whispered into the phone, "I need to get dressed and head downstairs."

"Take your time, Felicity," Oliver replied. "They are on your time schedule, not his. I don't want you leaving that house without me by your side."

"Okay, Hon, I understand," she whispered.

"See you in a few minutes," Oliver ended the call.

Felicity looked around the room. What is going on that Oliver couldn't tell me over the phone? Why doesn't he want me to leave the house? Who would have attacked Oliver? Why was he out there without me for back-up? So many questions were running through her head as she robotically dressed into something more formal. Once finished, she walked out of her room and stood at the top of the stairs. As she was about to begin her descent, Oliver and Lyla burst through the front door. Oliver ran straight for Peter, punched him on the chin causing him to fall back onto the stairs and called him "Traitor!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what will happen next?????
> 
> I might be able to post before the next episode of Arrow. I'm actually hoping to post by Monday. Wish me luck.
> 
> Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. We're getting closer and closer to the end... :-)


	43. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Peter Dashkin has some explaining to do...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> The artwork for this story can be found on my tumblr page and was done by the wonderfully talented VictoriaOlicity. Thank you!  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Forty-three

"I may have deserved that," quipped Peter, while rubbing his jaw and keeping an eye on Oliver who stood over him and the other on Lyla as she held her gun pointed directly at his chest.

Thea came rushing out of her room and joined Felicity at the top of the stairs. She looked at Felicity and gave her a knowing nod of the head. Both of them looked down at the scene playing out below them, watching as Oliver stood menacingly over Dashkin. 

Felicity saw the guards in the foyer looking bewildered, unsure who to point their guns at when it meant choosing between their Captain or their Commander.

"You have ten seconds to explain yourself, Dashkin," Oliver threatened, "or I will kill you where you lay."

Peter smiled up at Oliver, "I don't think you want my response uttered in the foyer, Captain." He took a moment to glance around Oliver at his men, then added with a gleam in his eye, "Your nightly activities aren't meant for public consumption..."

Oliver ordered, "Get up!" 

Peter stood up and brushed himself off. The derisive smile he had given Oliver changed as he looked up at Felicity and frowned.

Was that disappointment she saw in his eyes or was he trying to warn her, she wondered? She began to make her descent down the stairs, but Thea stopped her for a moment and moved in front of her to lead the way.

Lyla maintained her defensive stance with her weapon trained on Peter while Oliver commanded his men to double check the property's perimeter, grounds and rooms in the house. 

One of the men looked at Peter, then Oliver, unsure with what to do and the other men followed his lead and stayed standing where they were. 

"Do as your Captain ordered," demanded Felicity to the guards in the foyer. Without hesitation they replied, "Yes, Princess," in unison and exited the house.

As soon as the men left, Oliver pushed Peter in the direction of his study.

Peter slowly made his way down the hall. Hearing the familiar click-clack of Felicity's shoes on the marble floor he asked, "Are you sure you want the Princess and your sister in the room for this discussion, Oliver?"

"I keep no secrets from my family, Dashkin," Oliver replied as they entered the study, Lyla, Thea and Felicity behind them. Once Felicity closed the door behind her, Oliver demanded, "Say what you have to say, Peter."

Peter turned around to face them. "Does your family and A.R.G.U.S. comrade know about all the different lives you lead, Oliver Queen? Or should I call you Captain? Or is it Mr. Mayor? Or do you prefer The Vigilante, The Hood, The Arrow or Green Arrow? There's been so many different identities, I'm unsure which one is your favorite," he sneered.

Felicity gasped. How does he know, she thought while watching Thea and Lyla maintain their defensive stance. "Oliver, what happened?" Felicity asked.

Peter smiled. "So maybe you don't tell your wife everything, eh Captain?"

Oliver reached back and slugged Peter again in the face, causing him to take a few steps back.

Peter shook his head, rubbed his jaw and chuckled. "At least someone taught you a proper right hook."

"Oliver!" Felicity shouted, "What is going on?"

Never taking his eyes off of Peter, Oliver informed her, "I went back to Carter's to find more evidence, and Peter was there removing evidence from the loft."

Peter laughed and shook his head in disagreement, "I was there gathering evidence, Princess, not trying to cover anyone's tracks."

Lyla huffed in disgust, "If that were true, then why did you run after knocking out Oliver when I got there?"

Peter sighed, "I wasn't sure who it was in the hood so I knocked him out and when I heard his back-up arriving, I hid in the loft and waited to see who it was. When I saw you get there, pull back the hood revealing the Captain as the Green Arrow, I made my way back to the compound to check on the Princess and make sure she was safe. I asked her to join me outside the house so that I could take her to a   
FBI safe house in Star City to protect her from her husband." Peter looked at Oliver and chided, "The Green Arrow has not been a friend to the Bratva." Then he looked at Felicity and continued, "The Princess needed to be protected from him at all costs...even at the cost of my own life."

Oliver snorted, "My wife does not need protection from me, Peter." He took a step closer to Peter and demanded, "You have still not answered the original question. Why were you at Carter Bowen's loft?"

"My loyalty is to Anatoly Knyasev, his family and heir," Peter vowed while looking at Felicity. Then he looked at Oliver, "I received a text message from an unknown number letting me know that Carter   
Bowen was responsible for the hit ordered on the Princess at the charity event. I went to his apartment to see what evidence I could find and share with the Police as the Princess commanded." He looked back at Felicity, sadness emanating from his features, "I found a photo in a book on his night stand."

"Your delaying your inevitability, Dashkin," Oliver snarled, "and my patience is waning."

"Who was the in the picture you found, Peter?" Felicity queried softly.

Peter looked at her, the heartbreak apparent on his face and uttered, "It was Agent Torres and Dr. Bowen...together."

"Could you tell where the picture was taken?" Lyla asked.

"On the back of the photo was written 'Corto Maltese 2016'," Peter replied.

Oliver looked at Lyla to confirm that Agent Torres had indeed been in Corto Maltese earlier this year.

"She never mentioned meeting Bowen while on assignment there," replied Lyla to Oliver's inquisitive gaze.

"Your agent failed to mention several things to you, Lyla," Oliver chided. His phone rang. He looked down to see who it was as he answered it, "Hello, Chief...uh-huh...I see...Thank you for letting me know." Oliver wanted to hit something after hearing the disappointing news. He looked at Felicity, disgusted with what the Police Chief had just informed him, "The Chief let me know that he personally met with Carter and Council Member Briggs to question them about what has happened. According to both men have only expressed concern about the health and welfare of Deputy Mayor Queen. They have both pledged to do whatever is necessary to make sure the person responsible for what happened gets the justice they deserve. He also let me know that they will not be requesting search warrant for Bowen's campaign office or apartment without definitive proof that he had something to do with what happened." 

"Sounds like political cronyism to me at its finest," stated Thea. "No doubt the Police Chief is hedging his bets in case you lose the election, Big Brother. He's might have a different boss he'll have to answer to after the election in two weeks."

Oliver shook his head in frustration. He looked at Felicity, confounded at being thwarted at seemingly every turn. What were they going to do now? 

"Where is the picture now?" Felicity asked Peter.

"It's in my inside jacket pocket," he replied and began to reach inside his coat.

"Hold it right there!" Lyla yelled.

Peter held up both hands and Oliver walked over to him to reach inside the jacket. He pulled out the photo in question and looked at it. He walked back over to Felicity and showed it to her. It indeed showed a picture of Agent Torres wearing a sarong and bikini top in the arms of Carter Bowen and they were both smiling at each other. Agent Torres looked so beautiful and she and Carter looked so happy and content in the photo. A tear fell from Felicity's eye as she sniffled. She knew what had been the breaking point for Agent Torres. Her happiness had been destroyed the minute Felicity had redirected the missile to destroy Havenrock. Would she blame her for feeling the way she did? How would she react if someone murdered Oliver? Would she do everything in her power to exact vengeance?   
Was Oliver right? Is vengeance justice?

Felicity knew how angry her husband was with Lyla for her perceived failure in protecting Felicity's identity as the person responsible for Havenrock. She could see the hurt masked by anger on Peter's face that the woman he loved could be behind the plot to kill her. What she couldn't understand was the role Carter played in everything. What was he getting out of targeting her? What grudge would be settled by eliminating her? Who would send a text message to Peter implicating Carter? She thought for a moment and then audibly gasped, "I know who sent you the text message, Peter." All heads turned to Felicity, awaiting her response. She looked at each person in the room before settling her eyes back on Dashkin and continuing, "Agent Torres was hoping that you would find the evidence that she and   
Carter were involved and in a jealous fit, you would eliminate her lover to take care of that loose end in her plot to kill me."

Peter looked at Felicity, realization dawning on his face that the woman he loved was truly capable of anything. "I guess I will have to add that to the list of sins she has committed," he loathed. It was his turn to simply shake his head and bow it in disgust.

Oliver looked at Peter and could see the guilt and self-loathing the man was feeling. It was exactly how he had felt each time someone close to him had done something wrong. "Can I trust you?" he asked.

Peter nodded his head, stood ramrod straight and vowed, "I am Bratva, first. My loyalty is to my Pakhan and my Princess. They are my family and I will do whatever is necessary to protect my family."

Oliver nodded his head in acceptance and waved off Lyla who re-holstered her gun. He looked at the group and announced, "Well then, let's figure out how we're going to deal with Dr. Carter Bowen."

"I may have a few recommendations on that front," Malcolm suggested from the corner of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost at the end my friends. It's coming...  
> Thank you for continuing on this journey with me.   
> Your kind words and kudos of support as I write this little drabble have truly made all the difference.  
> XXOOXXOO,  
> Vanessa


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Pre-debate stuff...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> The artwork for this story can be seen on my tumblr page and was done by the wonderfully talented VictoriaOlicity. Thank you!  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Forty-four

Felicity looked out the window of their bullet-proof SUV at the passing scenery of the Star City Wharf and Harbor. She could see the construction workers' heavy machinery peppering the landscape and knew that the work she and her team at City Hall had started was about to come to fruition. It wasn't quite yet a feeling of satisfaction as there was still plenty of work left to be done to rebuild this city's public works infrastructure. No, it was more of a reassurance that no matter what Fate had in store for her, the City, her City, their City would continue. 

She swiveled her head to look at her pensive husband, who was quietly reviewing the index cards in his hands. She saw the familiar tick of his, rubbing his two fingers together, and reached out to give him a soothing and reassuring touch. She knew the change of venue back to the Star City Memorial Auditorium was weighing heavily on everyone's minds. Peter had wanted to place one of his men at every entrance and exit to the building, while Lyla was adamant that she be allowed to bring in her own team to deal with Agent Torres. In the end, and with a bit of Felicity's loud voice thrown into the discussion, it was determined that Agent Torres would be able to spot an A.R.G.U.S. operative as soon as she arrived and their plan to capture her would fail.   
Instead, Oliver had alerted the Police Chief that he had hired a private security firm to provide the additional security necessary for his wife at the televised debate. The rest of their security force would be disguised in plain clothes as volunteers of his mayoral campaign. 

Felicity had scoffed at this because who was going to believe that twenty men who looked like they had fallen out of a "Soldier of Fortune" magazine cover were precinct walkers for Oliver Queen. But both Peter and Oliver had insisted that this was their only option. When Malcolm had offered to have some of his minions provide assistance, the entire room said emphatically, "No!" which brought a smile to Felicity's lips as she remembered the perturbed look on Merlyn's face. 

Oliver stopped and looked directly into his beautiful wife's eyes. He hoped that she wouldn't be able to see the fear and worry inside his gaze as he looked at her. But once she pursed her lips at him and shook her head, he knew that he had been unsuccessful. He held onto her hand, brought it up to his lips, then gently grazed her knuckles with a soft kiss. It was his turn to reassure her, "The plan is going to work."

She tilted her head to the side and queried, "Are you trying to convince me or yourself by saying that aloud?"

"The plan is going to work," he emphasized once more to her, but this time he straightened his posture and made sure he gave her his full attention.

Peter turned around from where he sat in the front passenger seat. "Captain, we will be at the auditorium in 10 minutes. Our men are in place and ready." He handed them both comm links to place in their ears. Everyone in the vehicle did a quick comm check to make sure that everyone was online. Dashkin added, "We will stick to the plan and it will work."

Felicity gave Peter a slight nod of her head, looked back at Oliver and added in agreement, "The plan is going to work."

He smiled at her and looked back down at his debate notes. He knew all too well how quickly their plan could go south and by being up on stage debating the scumbag Bowen, he would be defenseless and unable to protect Felicity where she sat in the audience. He was having to rely on too many people he didn't know. Would they really be able to protect Felicity. The only other person he had faith in   
was Thea and she might be a little rusty, even Malcolm had teased her about her reaction time. 

Almost as if she read his mind, he felt a gentle tug on his shoulder from behind him. "Hey, Big Brother," Thea offered, "we've got this."

Oliver reached up and gently grasped Thea's hand, "Thanks, sis."

"We're here," Peter interrupted. "Is everyone ready?" They all answered "Yes" in response and he got out of the car and moved to open Felicity's door.

"Hey," Oliver paused Felicity from exiting.

She turned in her seat to look at him and he leaned forward to give her a lingering kiss.

"Okay, Bro," teased Thea. "Save it for when the debate is over and you two are behind closed doors."

Felicity blushed at Thea's attempt to lighten their mood, she gave Oliver the smile she reserved only for him and then she sat there while she watched him exit the car. Once Oliver was at her door next to   
Peter, they opened the car door and Felicity and Thea exited. Peter took both ladies directly into the auditorium, while Oliver shook a few hands before following them into the building. Once inside the auditorium, Mark Francis and Mavis Temple guided them into their debate prep room to the left of the stage. 

Along the way, each member of their security force gave them a knowing nod of the head in acknowledgment. Most of the faces, Felicity recognized from seeing them patrol the grounds of Avalon. Those guards she would give them a slight nod and continued walking with Peter on point and Oliver and Thea on either side of her. She could hear Mark and Mavis both saying something to Oliver about the debate, but she was focused on searching the different faces in the crowd, constantly scanning for Agent Torres familiar visage. When the group stopped, Oliver had to grab her arm to prevent her from walking into Peter's backside. She blushed at her husband at her almost misstep and wrapped one arm around him. He gently kissed her nose and guided her into the room. Waiting inside were Mrs. Sanchez and JJ. Felicity gave Oliver a shocked look. They had told both of them that they weren't needed that night and that they should watch the debate from the comfort of their own homes. The last thing she wanted was for either Mrs. Sanchez or JJ getting hurt in any possible crossfire tonight.

Oliver whispered in her ear, "Baby, they just want to be here to support us." He kissed her ear and then held out his hand to Mrs. Sanchez, who swatted it away, gave him a hug, then quickly scooted to Felicity and wrapped her in a big motherly hug. "We've been so worried about you, Mija," she admitted. Then she leaned in and whispered into Felicity's ear, "Can't you talk to your friend, the Green Arrow, and ask him to take down the person who keeps coming after you?"

Felicity blushed, gave Oliver a quick look and whispered back, "Something tells me he's already working on it." She gave Mrs. Sanchez another hug and then looked at JJ.

"Hey, boss," JJ said as he gave he a wide grin. "I've been keeping your plants alive and your desk nice and clean for you until you're ready to get back in the office."

She gave her assistant a bright smile in appreciation and said, "Thanks, JJ. How's your sister doing?"

JJ smiled, "Oh my gosh! She's been over the moon with excitement about being able to help Mr. Holt in his lab at Palmer Tech. Most of the stuff she talks about is way over my head, but when I go and pick   
her up in the lobby of Palmer Tech after work, she's constantly jabbering on about some new gadget or piece of technology that she's been able to work on in the lab. She had wanted to be here for the debate to support Mayor Queen, but Curtis offered her an opportunity to use a new piece of technology he's been working on and hadn't let her use yet, so she jumped at the chance to stay for a few extra hours in the lab and then my Mom will pick her up and take her home." 

Felicity smiled and said a silent thank you to Curtis for keeping young Hannah away from the debate and hopefully out of harm's way. Even though she knew that some of Curtis' projects had a tendency to be on the explosive side, she had faith that he would keep those away from the inquisitive young girl.

JJ paused for a moment and looked at Mrs. Sanchez, then continued, "I just want to say thank you so much Deputy Mayor Queen for making my sister's dream come true. She's starting to be the little sister   
I remember her to be before our Dad died..." JJ paused again, tears welling in his eyes.

Felicity reached out to him and gently squeezed his arm, "Hey, I'm just happy I could help, JJ. Curtis wouldn't allow her to spend as much time in the lab with him if she wasn't talented. I just hope she's been able to keep up with her studies in school, especially if she hopes to follow me in my footsteps and graduate from MIT."

"Oh, she's definitely got the itch to go to MIT, Mrs. Queen," JJ replied. "Curtis helped her design and build a robotic beaver that she programmed to swim in the bath tub."

Felicity smiled at him, impressed with the progress the Hannah has made in such a short amount of time.

A knock on the door diverted everyone's attention. The debate stage manager entered and said, "It's time Mayor Queen for you to take you spot at the podium."

Oliver nodded his head at the manager who then closed then door. He turned to look at everyone in the room. Mark and Mavis approached him first and wished him good luck. Mrs. Sanchez and JJ both said the same and left the room for their seats in the audience. He looked at Thea and Peter and said, "Can I have a moment with my wife?" They both nodded their head and Thea replied, "We'll just be right outside," as they left and shut the door behind them.

Oliver opened his arms wide and Felicity entered into his embrace. He nuzzled his face in hair, breathing in the soft scent of lavender and vanilla, giving him strength and helping to calm his nerves. He wasn't nervous about the debate. He was more nervous that he would stride across the stage and strangle the life out of Carter Bowen for his part in everything that has happened to His Always. "Can we just stay here for one more minute?" he asked Felicity softly.

She chuckled in response. "I think the good people at Channel 52 airing this debate may have an issue with that, not to mention the people who are hoping that it doesn't run over and pre-empt the new episode of 'Survivor'."

That made Oliver chuckle. Leave it to his wife to find some way to inject a bit of levity into this very serious situation. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied and then gave him a quick kiss. "Now, go out there and decimate that weasel all over the debate floor."

"Yes, Ma'am," was his reply as they both exited the room and headed out to get their plan in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I got some pretty positive news today and banged this sucker out! :-)  
> I hope you enjoyed it!  
> Cheers!  
> V.


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay Gentle Readers.
> 
> My travels should lessen now and will hopefully be able to update at least once a week...maybe more. :-)

State of the Union: Chapter 45

Summary:

The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.

Notes:  
This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”

The artwork for this story was done by the wonderfully talented VictoriaOlicity. Thank you!  
Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Forty-five

Oliver tilted his head from side to side and heard the bones of his neck crack through the motion as he stood there behind the curtain on the side of the stage. The debate this time would be slightly different than the one who had against Ruve Adams. This time, he wasn’t just a candidate for Mayor. He is the Mayor of Star City. Felicity was now his wife and he hoped that becoming the elected Mayor of Star City would continue his path toward being a hero in the light. He took a deep breath and stepped out onto the stage, walking straight to the podium and waved as the crowd cheered when Channel 52's own Bethany Snow announced his name. The stage lighting was so bright, it made it difficult for him to see where Felicity and Thea were supposed to be sitting in the front row. Then his attention was diverted when Bethany announced Carter's name. He watched as Carter walked out onto the stage from the opposite side of where he stood.

Carter headed straight for where Oliver was, smiled at him and held out his hand for Oliver to shake.

Oliver reached out, grabbed Carter's hand and pulled him closer to him, to whisper in his ear. "I know, Carter," Oliver warned, "and this all ends tonight."

A momentary flash of fear traveled across Carter's face, before he regained his composure, pumped Oliver's hand and countered, "You're right, Oliver. It ends tonight." Then he tipped his head slightly out to the audience just as the lights lifted from the stage, let go of Oliver's hand and walked back over to his podium.

Oliver could see two empty seats in the front row, looked over to Carter who just smiled and gave him a slight shake of the head. He quickly looked to his left and right, trying to see where Peter or any of his men were located. It was Bethany's question to him asking for his opening statement that reminded him that not only were they on live television, but that there was absolutely nothing that he could do at that moment to find out where were Felicity and Thea. Just as he was getting ready to speak, the sound of shots being fired rang throughout the auditorium.

Oliver ran to the side stage and yelled in his comm link, “Felicity?! Felicity?! 

There was a lot of static, but then he could hear, “I’m okay! I’m okay. I’m with Peter and Thea.”

“Peter, get Felicity out of here,” he commanded. He turned to see people fleeing from the auditorium. He looked toward where Carter had stood and watched as he ran off behind the stage. Oliver looked at the guards who were standing closest to him and ordered, “Make sure my wife gets safely back home,” then he turned toward where Bowen departed to follow him and added, “Bowen is mine!”  
*******************

As soon as Felicity finished wishing Oliver good luck, she felt a twinge of nausea hit her. She walked slowly toward Thea and Peter, then covered her mouth and ran. She barely made it to the closest washroom when everything she had eaten earlier came right back out. Felicity coughed and heard the washroom door open.

“Is there anything I should know?” Thea asked hopefully.

Felicity reached for some toilet paper to wipe her mouth as she stood up and flushed the toilet. She walked out of the stall to go wash her hands and replied, “No, Thea. I’m sure it was just something I ate.”

“Are you sure?” Thea asked and wiggled her eyebrows at her sister-in-law with a mischievous look on her face. 

Felicity tilted her head to the side for a moment to ponder her monthly schedule. With everything that had occurred, she had chalked up being late to just the stress of the new job and the fact that someone was out to kill her. As she counted in her head, she realized, that it could be possible she was…pregnant. She looked at Thea in surprise as her sister-in-law clapped her hands and did a little happy dance.

“How far along do you think you are?” Thea asked with excited expectation.

Before she could respond to that question, a knock on the bathroom door had both ladies look up at each other.

“Princess,” Peter queried from the other side of the door, “Are you okay?”

Felicity gave an unsure look to Thea and pleaded, “Please don’t say anything to him or Oliver, yet.” Thea gave her a questioning look as Felicity answered, “I’m fine, Peter. We’ll be out in a minute.” She returned her gaze to Thea and continued, “I’ll tell him my suspicions after the debate.” Then she walked over to the sink to finish cleaning up.

“Oliver is going to be thrilled, Felicity,” Thea reassured her. “You know that, right?”

Felicity turned back around to face her, smiled with delight at the thought that she and Oliver were possibly becoming parents, when the sound of gunfire had Peter barging into the bathroom.

“We need to leave now!” he demanded.

Thea stepped in front of Felicity, facing Peter and asked, “What’s going on out there.”

Oliver’s voice came over the comm to which Felicity responded, “I’m okay! I’m okay! I’m with Thea and Peter.”

She heard Oliver’s orders to Peter to get them out of there, but knew that she needed him to be safe as well.

Felicity looked up at Peter, pointed out toward the door and ordered, “Go! Go find Oliver and help him.”

Peter looked at Thea and then at Felicity, “I’m sorry, Princess, but you are my priority.”

Felicity looked at Thea, who nodded her head at her. “Thea will see me safely home, Peter. You need to go find my husband and make sure he comes back to me…alive.” She never wavered her gaze at him and added, “Do you understand?”

A voice from behind where Peter stood answered, “I’ll make sure Mrs. Queen and my daughter make it home in one piece.”

Peter turned around quickly in surprise at hearing Malcolm Merlyn’s attempt at reassurance.

Merlyn sensing Dashkin’s reluctance to leave Felicity in his care, continued, “Don’t worry, Russian. I’ll keep your Princess safe.” Then he looked at his daughter and added, “I promise.”

Thea nodded her head at her Father in agreement and reached for Felicity’s had to give her a reassuring squeeze.

Felicity looked down at their joined hands, looked back up at where Peter stood, staring down Malcolm and said, “They will get me home safely, Peter. You need to go find Oliver and keep him safe.”

“Princess…” Peter pleaded. “I cannot leave you alone. The Pakhan and the Captain will never forgive me.”

Felicity stood taller and warned, “I will never forgive you if something happens to my child’s father.”

Peter’s eyes widened in amazement and Malcolm quipped, “I hope saving the next generation of the Queen family will at least get me invited to Thanksgiving Dinner.”  
Felicity frowned at Malcolm, “You haven’t saved us yet, Merlyn.” Then she looked at Peter, “Go, Peter. Go bring my husband home to me.”

Peter nodded his head and vowed, “Your husband will come home to you safely, Princess.” Then he exited the bathroom, shouting in Russian on the comm.

Felicity looked up at Merlyn, when another wave of nausea hit and said, “We may have to delay that trip home a moment…” Then turned back around toward the nearest stall and vomited one more time.  
********************

Oliver ran behind the stage and saw Carter dart down a hallway toward the back door exit. He ran and caught up with Carter, preventing him from leaving the building. He grabbed him by the lapels of his suit jacket and pushed him up against the hallway wall. “Damn, you Carter!” he yelled. “What the hell are you thinking?”

Carter sneered, “What the hell am I thinking? What the hell am I thinking? Why are you wasting time coming after me when it’s your wife you should be worried about. She’s the one who killed thousands of people and shown no remorse or paid any atonement for what she did. She’s a mass murderer! You and your Bratva friends have covered up for her long enough. She needs to pay for what she’s done!”

“My wife had to make a horrible choice,” replied Oliver, in a calm and serious tone. “A choice that she will have to live with for the rest of her life, Carter. But it was the right choice, given the circumstances and there was nothing else that she could have done. Her decision saved millions of lives and I know that if it happened again, what she did would still be the right choice to make.”

Carter struggled in Oliver’s grasp, then kicked at Oliver’s right knee, aggravating his old injury from Slade Wilson, causing him to loosen his hold and Carter fell to the ground against the wall.

Oliver growled in pain. He reached down for Carter to slam him harder against the wall, when Carter kicked his foot out knocking Oliver down. He fell hard on his side as Carter struggled to stand back up, but Oliver was quicker. He rolled onto his side and used a roundhouse kick to knock Carter back down to the ground. Then Oliver rolled on top of   
Carter to keep him down and gave him two punches to the face before demanding, “Where’s Agent Torres, Carter?!”

An evil grin blossomed across Bowen’s face as he coldly replied, “She said that you would come after me.” Carter paused for a moment to spit out blood, then continued, “She said that your old childhood hatred of me and my perfectness would drive you to come after me leaving your wife, how did she put it…oh, yeah, a sitting duck.”

Oliver pulled back his arm ready to slug Carter, when he heard Peter shouting in Russian over the comm that Felicity was okay and headed to Avalon. Instead he smiled back at   
Carter and replied, “My wife is safe and sound on her way home as we speak, Carter.” Then he released him allowing them to both stand up again. “You on the other hand will find that your soon to be home at Iron Heights is a lot colder, darker and miserable than life on the Bowen Estate.” Then Oliver cold-cocked him and got a little bit of satisfaction in knocking Carter out as he watched his body slump down onto the hallway floor.

The pounding of footsteps in the hallway made Oliver turn in a defensive stance to face his new target. When he saw that it was Peter headed his way, he nodded his head at him and said, “Has anyone found Agent Torres yet?”

Peter shook his head no and answered, “We’re trying to track her down now. Our men along with the SCPD were able to subdue the men she hired who opened fire earlier in the lobby of the auditorium. Merlyn and your sister are escorting the Princess home as we speak.”

Oliver looked at Peter and asked, “Why weren’t they seated in the audience at the beginning of the debate?”

Peter shrugged his shoulders and replied, “The Princess wasn’t feeling well and went to the ladies room accompanied by your sister before we could get them to their seats. Then the gunfire started and well, she ordered me to find you and bring you home to her.” Peter looked down at Carter, then back up at Oliver and queried, “What are we going to do about him?”

Oliver looked down at the unconscious Bowen and answered ominously, “Bring him with us. He and CC should share their fate…together…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There is only a little bit left now...  
> Thank you for continuing to join me on this journey!  
> XXOOXXOO  
> V.


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Stuff happens... ;-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> The artwork for this story can be found on my tumblr page and was done by the wonderfully talented VictoriaOlicity. Thank you!  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Forty-six

Peter quickly ordered his men to pack up the unconscious Bowen and take him back to the house for interrogation. As the men were shutting the stage's back door, Oliver and Peter heard a female voice calling out "Oliver! Oliver!". They both headed back down the hallway toward the stage. There stood Mavis Temple, hair askew, tear in her dress and a look of panic on her face.

"Oliver, thank God, you are alright!" Mavis exclaimed. She looked over her shoulder as the SCPD began fanning their way through the theater with the Chief of Police pulling up the rear. "We need you to make a statement to calm the fears of the citizens of Star City."

Oliver gave Peter a quick look of frustration before answering Mavis. He wanted to get out of there and get back to the house to first check on Felicity and secondly, interrogate Carter to find out what he knows about Agent Torres' next move. "I need to get home and check on my wife, Mavis," replied Oliver. "Can't you make a statement to the press that the Mayor is unharmed and has faith that SCPD's finest will apprehend those responsible for this terrible attack?"

"No, Oliver," griped Mavis. "This is the responsibility of the Mayor to allay the public's fears and reassure them that their City is safe and they have nothing to worry about."

"Where's Mark at?" he asked her.

"Mark asked me to find you and bring you to him so we could develop our response message to this tragedy," she answered.

Before Oliver could respond, the Chief of Police followed his officers up onto the stage where Mavis, Peter and Oliver stood. 

"Are you okay, Mr. Mayor?" queried the Police Chief as his men continued to search the theatre for victims.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, Sam," replied Oliver tersely. "What happened out there and do you have any idea who is responsible for this attack?"

The Chief of Police shook his head no and answered, "From what we can tell, there were two sharpshooters stationed on the rooftops opposite the theatre. No one was killed, but there were at least five people who were sent to the hospital with wounds either from the shattered glass or from falling as they were trying to escape..." 

The Chief's radio emitted, "Chief, do you copy?"

The Chief held up his hand for a moment and said, "Go ahead," into his radio.

"Our team made it up to the rooftop, but there's no one here, over...Just a couple of high-powered rifles that appear to be set up to fire on some sort of remote control device, over..."

Peter and Oliver gave each other quick, cautionary looks. Agent Torres must have set up the rifles to automatically fire into the crowd causing the disturbance.

Peter took a step forward and asked, "Are you saying that no one was killed during all of that gunfire we heard outside?"

Sam looked at both men, shook his head yes and continued, "It appears that it was plain, old-fashioned luck that no one was killed by those remote-controlled guns. Now, we just need to see if we can find any evidence as to who could possibly be responsible for all of this."

Oliver took a step forward, stuck his hand out to shake the Police Chief's hand saying, "Thank you, Sam, for you and your men's quick actions to secure the theatre and get those victims the medical attention they needed." Oliver paused for a moment, nodded at Peter, then continued, "But right now, I need to go home and make sure that my wife is okay. Ms. Temple is going to need you to go make a statement to the press and let them know that SCPD's finest are on the case and will make sure that whomever is responsible for this attack is found."

Mavis shook her head no and frowned. "Mr. Mayor, we need you to meet with the press."

Oliver gave Peter a concerned look, then turned back to the Police Chief and Mavis and replied, "Coordinate a response to the media with Ms. Temple about what has happened. I need to get home to check on my wife." 

"But Sir, we still haven't located Dr. Bowen," informed the Chief. Then he asked Oliver, "Did you happen to see where he disappeared to?"

Peter answered quickly, "The Mayor and I have not seen Dr. Bowen since he ran off the stage. We came back here to make sure that Mrs. Queen escaped the melee safely and transported as quickly as possible back home." He gave a nod toward Oliver and added, "We heard Ms. Temple calling out for the Mayor and came back to the stage to make sure that she and any other audience members were okay."

"Great," answered the Chief. "Now, I not only have a possible terrorist threat to look into, but also a missing Mayoral Candidate as well?" He paused, looked at Oliver and said, "I thought this was August, not May?!"

Oliver didn't dare react to the Police Chief's quip. Instead, he turned to Mavis and reiterated that she needed to work with the Chief to respond to the media and let them know that he had returned to his home to check on his wife. Then he and Peter quickly left the theatre via the back exit, got into the waiting SUV and sped as fast as they could to Avalon.

 

Malcolm drove Felicity and Thea in his own black sedan back towards Avalon. 

When he didn't take the normal turnoff to get to the house, Felicity questioned, "Taking a short-cut, Merlyn?"

Thea gave Felicity a hesitant look and unsheathed the small dagger that had been hiding in her blouse's sleeve.

Malcolm looked into the rear view mirror at both ladies and replied, "You can put that knife away, Thea. I'm simply taking an alternate route back to the house."

Thea nodded her head at her father and gave Felicity a reassuring squeeze on her hand. 

"I thought it would be prudent to arrive via my own private entrance and keep you ladies secure in your mini-lair until Oliver gets back" informed Malcolm. Then he gave Felicity a quick glance and added,   
"Plus, I figured you'd want to run that facial recognition software you're so fond of, Princess, to try and locate Agent CC Torres."

Felicity gasped and Thea gave her father a side-eye look. "How long have you known about Agent Torres?" she asked.

Malcolm chuckled and replied, "Well Daughter, you did ask me to find out who was responsible for the attacks on your sister-in-law." When neither woman responded to his answer, he continued, "I put out a few feelers and leaned on a few contacts of mine and discovered that a certain rogue A.R.G.U.S. agent is after that pretty, little head of yours, Mrs. Queen." He nodded at Felicity and smiled as she pursed her lips at him.

Malcolm was right, she thought. She needed to start looking for Agent Torres, and hacking back into the A.R.G.U.S. mainframe to use their lovely new software would give her an opportunity to focus on something other than worried about being shot. "Just get us home safely, Merlyn," she commented, "and stop telling us stuff we already know."

He frowned at her comment, but had no witty comeback or reply. They drove a little further when Malcolm pulled off the main road and parked their car behind a thicket of tall trees. "Okay, ladies, we're here," he announced and got out of the car.

Felicity and Thea looked around at their surroundings. They were no where near the house as far as they knew.

Malcolm pounded his hand on the roof of the vehicle and reiterated, "Okay, ladies, I said 'We're here!' you might want to get out of the car now while the sun is still shining."

Felicity and Thea looked at each other, before Thea said, "Come on Sis. Let's see where my father is taking us." Then she showed Felicity the dagger she had re-sheathed up her sleeve. 

Felicity nodded and said, "He's only betrayed us 50% of the time...Let's hope this is on the side of the 50% when he doesn't."

Thea smiled at her, opened the door and both women exited the vehicle to see an impatient Malcolm standing there waiting for them.

As they walked, Malcolm felt the need to explain their location to them. He told them that they were walking on the back edge of the Merlyn Estate property line and that the previous owners had been notorious bootleggers during Prohibition. They were the ones who had created a series of tunnels leading to and away from the main house. A few of the tunnels had collapsed over the years, but Malcolm had paid an out-of-town contractor to reinforce the remaining tunnels and seal off the damaged ones. He stopped for a moment once they got to a granite outcropping of rocks next to the hillside. "Be careful now as we enter the tunnel," he warned. "The tunnels are stable now, but even I find an occasional rattlesnake using it like a den."

Both women looked down at their feet and paid closer attention to each step they took. Felicity pulled her phone out of her pocket and noticed that they lost their signal. So much for sending Oliver a text letting him know we were almost home, she thought. Now, it's only use is as a flashlight.

"You won't need a flashlight, Felicity," Malcolm said as he reached down and picked up a stick with a cloth head. Then using a piece of flint, lit the end of it and handed each one a torch. 

They continued walking until Felicity noticed a door ahead of them. "Is that the doorway that leads to the house?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered. "Once we are on the other side of that door, we'll be inside the basement of the kitchen where your quite capable Housekeeper keeps all of her delicious baked treats." He smiled and added, "Please remind me when this is over to send her a lovely flower arrangement. I haven't been able to pass up taking one or two baked goods for me to enjoy later."

Felicity and Thea gave each other a confused look.

Malcolm seeing their confusion simply said, "I may be evil, but I even I know how to dole out a compliment or two..."

They got to the door and Malcolm extinguished the torches, leaving them by the side of the door. Before opening it he said, "Let me enter first, then Felicity and Thea." They nodded their head in agreement and walked into the room in that order. Everything was clear and Malcolm led the way to the mini-lair. 

Once inside, Felicity noticed that her keyboard was not in the same place she remembered leaving it. She quickly looked around the room to see if anything was missing, but seeing nothing gone, dismissed her earlier suspicion as maybe Oliver had used her computer and moved the keyboard from its normal position. She quickly sent him a text letting him know that she, Thea and Malcolm were ensconced in the safety of the mini-lair.

Oliver called her on her phone immediately. "Babe, Peter and I are driving back to the house. Stay in the mini-lair with Thea and Malcolm. I'll come get you as soon as I can."  
Felicity smiled as she heard her husband speak to her. She couldn't wait to tell him about the possibility she was pregnant. She knew he would be so happy. "Okay, Oliver. I'll do exactly as you ask."

There was a momentary pause on the other side of the line. Then a tremulous Oliver replied, "Is everything okay, Felicity? You rarely ever tell me you'll do something exactly as I've asked."

Felicity smiled to herself. "Don't worry. Everything's really fine. Malcolm showed me a new way into the mini-lair and I can't wait to show it to you," she replied, hoping it would appease his curiosity at her docile temperament.

"Okay, see you soon," he replied, "I love you."

"I love you too," Felicity answered and ended the call.

Thea rolled her eyes and commented, "You two are such saps. Please shoot me if I ever get that ooey-gooey over a guy."

Felicity smiled at her sister-in-law, knowing that she was merely teasing her. Thea used to be the same way when Roy Harper was a part of Team Arrow. She only hoped that one day, Roy would be able to return from hiding and Thea would get her happy ending too.

Oliver and Peter arrived at the house and headed straight down to where their men were holding Carter. When they entered the room, Carter was still unconscious. Peter nodded to one of his men, who picked up a bucket of water and threw it at Carter.

He started sputtering and heaved a deep breath as the shock of the cold water washed over him. He opened his eyes to get a better look at his surroundings when he saw Oliver staring back at him. 

"Where am I?" he asked.

"Why does it matter?" Peter interrupted. "Your death is imminent."

Oliver scowled at Peter as he heard Carter gasp. 

"Please tell me you haven't brought me back to Oliver's house," Carter spat out and looked around the room.

"What does it matter where we have brought you, Carter?" Oliver asked evenly.

Carter looked at Oliver, the fear in his eyes was unmistakable. "You've got to get me out of here. You've got to get us all out of here!"

"Why?" Peter demanded as he started menacingly walking toward where Carter sat tied to the chair.

"You fools!" He answered. "Don't you know better than to incur the wrath of a civil engineer!"

Peter and Oliver gave each other a confused look. The Oliver asked, "What are you talking about, Bowen?"

"CC uncovered a series of old floor plans for this house from the 1930's that she discovered in the U.S. Treasury Department's data base," he answered.

"So what?" Oliver asked, " What does that have anything to do with right now?"

"Oh, Ollie, Ollie, Ollie. Why are you so slow on the uptake?" Carter chided. "CC discovered a series of old tunnels that run underneath the property here that two former owner's ago used when they were running moonshine during Prohibition." He watched as Peter and Oliver gave each other another confused look. Then Carter added for clarification, "She's hidden explosives in the tunnels and wants to blow up your house and anyone inside it. We don't have much time and need to evacuate now!"

Oliver didn't waste another moment with Carter and ran out of the room. Peter was close behind him. He ordered, "Get everyone out and as far away as possible from the main house. I'm going to go get Felicity!"

"What about Bowen?" Peter asked.

Oliver grimaced and replied, "Get him out too. With any luck, we might be able to convince him to testify against Agent Torres."

Peter nodded his head. He ran back toward the room where Carter was and began shouting orders at his men to get everyone out of the building.

Oliver made his way down to the mini-lair and let them all know that they had to leave the house immediately.

Malcolm sneered at Oliver. "There were no explosives in the tunnel we used. I would have noticed them." 

Oliver looked at him and said, "Look Malcolm. We don't have time to discuss whether you are right or wrong. Right now, we need to get out of her ASAP!" 

As they exited the mini-lair and made their way to the main foyer of the house, Thea looked at Oliver and said, "He's right, Ollie. I didn't see any sign of explosives either."

Oliver stopped for a moment, looked at Felicity, Malcolm and Thea. "Then why would Carter tell us to leave the house?"

As soon as Oliver asked the question, they could hear gunfire coming from outside the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so we are really almost done now. I'm thinking it might be two more chapters and an epilogue...but it could be one more chapter and an epilogue...It depends on how my muse is feeling...
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed this little story I've concocted. It truly has been a pleasure writing it!
> 
> Thank you for all of your continued support of my little drabbles. It truly means the world to me!!! :-)


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> There's a bit of peril at Avalon...Stuff happens... ;-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> The artwork for this story was done by the wonderfully talented VictoriaOlicity. Thank you!  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Forty-seven

The front door of the house flew open. Oliver and Malcolm pushed Felicity and Thea behind them, ready to battle whoever came through the door. As Peter and Carter stumbled inside, Carter fell on his back to the floor, while Peter quickly shut the door.

"He's been shot!" exclaimed Felicity as she covered her mouth and ran to the nearby potted plant and retched into it.

Oliver quickly ran over to Felicity as she stood up and reached to wipe her mouth. Oliver stayed her hand, reached into his jacket pocket and handed her his pocket square to use to wipe her mouth. "Are you okay?" he questioned. She's always been queasy around blood, but never actually vomited, he thought to himself as he watched her carefully.

She nodded her head yes as she took the offered piece of cloth and cleaned her mouth. Felicity gave him a worried look. Would he guess that I think I might be pregnant after this little untimely display of nausea, she wondered? “I’m fine,” she replied, “just a little nauseous because of the blood.”

He arched an eyebrow at her comment. How often had she patched up him, Dig or Roy after they had come back from being out in the field and she had never tossed her cookies then…what could have changed, he wondered. Then he gave her arm a gentle, reassuring squeeze, walked over toward Peter and ordered Malcolm to keep an eye on Carter.

“Welcome to the Dark Side, Bowen,” Malcolm sneered as he unsheathed his sword and held it to Carter’s throat as he lay on the ground. “So much for your Boy Scout persona now.”

Peter stumbled forward away from the door, clutching onto his right shoulder, blood beginning to seep around his hand. "It's a through-and-through," he said clenching his teeth, the pain beginning to radiate throughout the right side of his body. He faced Oliver and continued, "See, it went straight through." He removed his hand and Oliver gave it a cursory review. The bullet had gone straight through, but the blood was starting to flow more freely. He knew that they needed to start applying pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding.

"Thea," Oliver ordered, "go to the washroom underneath the stairs and get some towels. We need to maintain pressure on this wound to stop the bleeding."

Thea nodded her head quickly and ran to do as she had been asked. She returned quickly and brought the towels to Peter to help him with his injury. He looked at her and gave her a flirty smile, “You have a steady hand, Miss Queen. I would have thought you would faint straight away at the sight of so much blood.”

Thea casually her gaze and attention on his injury, gave him a sweet smile and pushed as hard as she could onto the wound causing Peter to wince. “Let’s just say my Finishing School included a crash course in field medic training,” she glibly added.

Peter smiled with a renewed sense of awe at the young Queen. Perhaps, there’s more to this family than meets the eye, he pondered. With Thea’s help, he moved to stand opposite Oliver, looming over Bowen.

Oliver looked at Carter on the floor and demanded, "What is CC up to, Carter?!"

Carter laughed, "I have no idea now." He looked over at Felicity and grinned, "She'll do whatever she has to do to get to you, though."

Felicity shuddered. The last thing I want is more death because of me, she thought.

"Well, you better get used to it, Felicity," countered Carter at her spoken thought. "She's coming for you." Then Carter grunted in pain as Peter kicked him in the side, while Thea helped him to maintain his   
balance.

Felicity winced at Carter's comment. They could still hear the sounds of gunfire coming from the front of the house. She looked at Oliver and asked, "If the tunnels are wired with explosives, what's Plan B?"

Oliver took in a steadying breath. He looked at Malcolm, "Are you sure that the tunnel you entered the house through had no explosives inside it?"

"Contrary to popular belief, I do have a rather heightened sense of self-preservation," Malcolm quipped. "I would have noticed if there were any type of explosives along our route to the house."

Oliver nodded his head and turned toward Peter, "It sounds like the men are holding their own out there. I haven't heard any chatter through the comm link, have you?"

Peter shook his head no. "I think she must have deployed some sort of jamming device. I can't contact any of our men via the comms and my cell phone doesn't seem to work either."

"What are you people waiting for here?!" spat out Carter. "This whole place is rigged to explode and you're debating about how to communicate with your minions?!"

Peter lifted his leg to give Carter another kick, but Oliver shouted, "No, Peter!"

Peter put his leg down, leaned over and whispered, "When this is all over Bowen, you are going to pay for what you have done."

Oliver turned back toward Felicity, "Suggestions on how we can deal with the signal blocker?"

"She may be able to jam our comms and cells, but I don't think she counted on us having a land line still. I mean, come on, who still has a land line nowadays, right?" Felicity chuckled awkwardly. Then she smoothed over her wispy hair from her ponytail, pushed her glasses back up on the bridge of her nose and pointed toward the direction of the study. "I'm just going to head over to the study to call the police to alert them to what is happening here at the house."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," warned Malcolm. All heads turned toward the Dark Archer in bafflement.

Thea questioned, "And why not?"

Malcolm sneered, "No, I'm not trying to cause trouble. Quite the contrary, my dear Daughter. If this house is rigged with some type of explosives, the signal from the land line phone could cause a spark triggering the detonation of whatever she's concocted as her grand finale."

The sound of hands clapping had all eyes turned toward it. There stood Agent Torres, assault weapon in hand, aimed straight at Felicity, and Mavis Temple standing next to her, smiling.

“See, Sister. I knew we would find them all together,” spoke Mavis maliciously to CC.

CC nodded her head, “You were right, Sister.” She lifted the gun to brace it against her shoulder, “Like shooting fish in a barrel…”

“Wait!” shouted Carter. He moved to stand up as Malcolm repositioned his sword toward their new enemy and looked over at the two menacing women. “You told me that the only one you were after was   
Felicity. You made no mention of threatening anyone else.”

Mavis laughed at Carter’s naivety. “No, you fool. You just assumed that we weren’t going to kill anyone else when you joined in on our plan for revenge…well, except for Council Member Briggs…We couldn’t wait for you to exact your revenge on him, so we took care of him for you.”

Felicity gasped, “You killed Briggs?”

Agent Torres grinned, “Oh, I enjoyed watching that vile excuse for a human being scream as I playfully extracted my revenge on him on behalf of Carter.” She looked at Carter and said, “Don’t worry,   
Sweetie. I made sure he suffered as much as you have since he was named Executor of your trust fund.”

Carter paled, looked at CC and pleaded, “CC…Babe, I never meant for you to kill him. I only wanted you to scare him into releasing my trust fund into my control.”

Oliver watched as Agent Torres demeanor toward Carter shifted. He could see the disappointment in her eyes as she turned her focus away from Felicity and toward the gullible Dr. Bowen. He gave   
Malcolm a quick look and Peter a nod of his head. Both men acknowledged that they understood and subtly shifted their respective stances.

“You disappoint me, Carter,” replied CC. She leaned her head toward her sister and continued, “My dear sister and I were counting on you once we helped make you Mayor of Star City.”

Carter held up both hands in a calming gesture. “Babe, you have to know that this was not what I had intended.”

“Not what YOU intended!” CC screamed at Carter as she now pointed her gun at him.

Mavis placed a gentle hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Sister, see…I told you that no man could be trusted to remain loyal to our endeavor. The only way we were to get retribution for our parents’ death was to rely on ourselves.”

Mavis turned to look at Felicity. “You see Mrs. Queen, CC and I were raised by the same foster family. However, I maintained my given name so that my deadbeat Dad’s family would see that I made something of myself without them and they would have to acknowledge me as a result of my importance in this town.”

Malcolm shifted his gaze toward Mavis and questioned, “Your Daniel Temple’s daughter?”

Mavis quickly turned her gaze at Malcolm and replied, “Not that he’d admit it, but yes…yes, I am.”

Malcolm smiled, “Well then, that changes things a bit.” He looked over at Thea and then back at Mavis. “Perhaps, we could strike a bargain then, Ms. Temple.”

“Malcolm…” Oliver warned, not letting his gaze waiver from Agent Torres.

“I doubt anything a dead man would have to offer would be appealing,” replied Mavis, “unless you plan on telling me you can resurrect the dead?”

Malcolm smiled and re-sheathed his sword. He took a step forward causing CC to now aim her weapon directly at him. “Resurrections are nothing new to me, Ms. Temple,” he replied as he gave Thea a quick look. “But, in this instance, I was referring to your Father. You see, I happen to know a thing or two about dealing with disapproving Fathers…Just ask my daughter, Thea.”

Mavis and CC both turned their heads toward Thea. It was the distraction Oliver and Malcolm needed to rush both women. Peter ran to Felicity, shielding her from the onslaught.

Felicity tried to peek around Peter to see what was happening, but he wouldn’t let her witness the battle occurring.

Mavis and CC were both giving Oliver and Malcolm both a good fight. Everyone was so distracted by the amazing display of hand to hand combat, it took the sound of a single shot being fired to turn everyone’s head toward the sound.

There stood Carter, holding the weapon CC had held earlier, looking uncomfortable with the gun. “Enough everyone!” he shouted. He gave CC a sad look and said, “I never wanted you to kill him, Babe."

Mavis laughed and CC looked disappointed. "Your lack of conviction is what killed him, Carter. The only way to get what you wanted was to eliminate him."

"You don't have to do any of this, CC," Peter suggested sadly. "It's not too late to put an end to all of this and turn yourself in..."

"Are you so besotted with my sister that you think your empty words mean anything to her?!" vented Mavis.

"Your belief in me will be your undoing, Peter," replied CC. "I was never that sweet and sassy field agent who took you for a merry ride...That vile creature you are so desperate to protect is the cause for all of this!" 

"Please, don't make me hurt you," Peter requested softly as he kept Felicity securely behind him.

"Too late," CC replied as she quickly whipped out a handgun, shooting Carter, whose gun fired, hitting Mavis, causing her to scream. Then CC pointed her gun at Peter.

But Peter was able to react quicker. He pulled out his secondary weapon and fired at CC, killing her before she could pull the trigger in his direction. He knew she was dead as he watched her body slink to the floor. His own body collapsed at the realization of what had just happened.

Malcolm kicked the gun away from where Carter lay. He squatted down and checked for a pulse, but found none.

Oliver kicked the weapon away from CC and reached down to check for a pulse on Mavis and then CC. Finding none on either of them, he got up and ran over to Peter and Felicity.

Felicity placed her hand gently on Peter's shoulder. "You had to do it, Peter. She had a gun and was going to kill all of us. There was no other choice to make."

Peter nodded slowly in agreement. He knew she was right. But that did not make the pain go away. Instead he looked up and saw Oliver standing next to him. "I have failed you, My Captain. I should have prevented all of this from even happening to you and your beloved. Please enforce whatever punishment you deem necessary."

Oliver extended his hand to the large Russian and answered, "You saved my family, Peter. There is no punishment needed."

Peter looked up from where he kneeled. He reached a hand out to Oliver and stood up with his assistance. "I am Bratva. You are my family. I have no other," he replied to Oliver.

Oliver nodded his head in approval and opened his arms for his wife to enter his embrace. 

Felicity began to take a few steps toward her husband, she could feel her head begin to spin. She knew she was only a few steps away from Oliver, when a sea of blackness engulfed her and everything faded away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking that there's one more chapter left and an epilogue.  
> I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish it before the holiday weekend, but I will try.  
> Thank you so much everyone for reading, commenting or leaving kudos on my story.  
> That you thought enough to join me on this journey is heartwarming.  
> Thank you for your support and encouragement along the way!


	48. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events immediately following "Schism" find Oliver Queen struggling with his acceptance of being appointed Mayor of Star City and being the Green Arrow. He's having to learn a different way to make a difference and knows that he will have to rely not just on himself, but on one particular person, Felicity Smoak, to help him rebuild their city, together.
> 
> Here it is my friends...the last chapter...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out of something @nalla-madness and I posted back and forth about a little while ago. The idea has been rattling around in my brain as I was finishing up “A Message in a Bottle.”  
> The artwork for this story was done by the wonderfully talented VictoriaOlicity. Thank you!  
> Please forgive any errors as I proof-read as I write.  
> As always, I do not own these characters, I merely hope I do them justice.  
> I hope you enjoy my latest effort.

Chapter Forty-eight

There’s always those moments in one’s life when you see the action unfold around you in deliberately slow motion as to give you perfect clarity for just that specific period of time. For Oliver Queen, these moments were all beset with turmoil and tragedy. He could recall with exacting detail the settings for each occurrence. His father’s suicide on the life raft in the middle of the South China Seas was the first. Next were Yao Fei’s death in Edward Fyers’ tent at the encampment and Shado’s death in the middle of the forest on Lian Yu. Then came his mother’s death on the side of the road at the hands of Slade Wilson and his own defeat by the sword of Ra’s Al Ghul on top of the mountain deemed sacred by the League of Assassins. But today, a different memory was thrust upon him. He would never forget those once unthinkable words that were uttered unexpectedly. Words he only dared to dream about, never wanting to allow himself to believe it would ever be possible for him to hear…

“Your wife is pregnant,” informed the Doctor.

The two men stood in the hospital hallway, one smiling and the other clearly in shock.

Oliver could only stare at the doctor and ask, “Come again?”

The doctor gave Oliver a knowing wink and smile, replied, “I think you can expect a new addition to the Queen family tree in springtime next year, Mr. Mayor.”

The smile that appeared on Oliver’s face was nearly as wide as his shoulders. He looked around the hallway, but remembered that Thea was with Peter, keeping him company as his wounds were treated.   
Instead, he gave the doctor a hug, then he released him, took a step back and allowed those inner doubts to surface for a moment. Would he be a good father? Is this what Felicity wants? Are we ready to be parents? Needing to tether himself to real life, he reached out and grabbed the doctor’s upper arm and asked, “Is my wife okay? Is the baby okay?”

The doctor nodded his head. “Your wife and child are both doing fine,” he reassured. “Mrs. Queen was simply dehydrated and that is what caused her to faint. We’ve set her up with an I.V. and would like to keep her overnight just to make sure that everything is fine. I’ve ordered more bloodwork and asked the on-call OB/GYN to come and perform an ultrasound to double-check everything is progressing normally with the baby.”

Oliver nodded his head in understanding and asked, “Can I see her now?”

The older man continued to smile. “Of course, she’s awake and waiting for you.”

Oliver left the doctor in the hallway and immediately entered Felicity’s room. The color had not completely returned to her skin yet, causing him to momentarily frown. Then she turned her head to face him and smiled the smile she reserved solely for him. It was just the sight he needed to see to remind him that everything was going to be alright. He strode over to her bedside, away from the I.V. bag and monitors, leaned down and gently kissed her lips.

“I was wondering when you were going to come see me,” Felicity chided him, then joked, “I wasn’t sure if one of the nurses had you reverting to your old ways.”

“Not a chance,” he smiled at her, then kissed her gently again.

“Did the doctor tell you anything?” she asked softly.

“Just that you have once again made me the happiest man on earth,” he answered while grinning and gently caressing her cheek.

Felicity leaned into the warmth of his hand stroking her cheek and sighed. “I had a suspicion after I got sick right before the debate started,” she admitted. “It’s why Thea and I weren’t in the auditorium when they called you out onto the stage. She and Peter were with me at the Ladies Room and then Malcolm arrived to escort us back to Avalon. Then everything else happened and I didn’t have a chance to tell you my suspicions which were just confirmed by the nice Emergency Room doctor,” Felicity’s eyes began to well up with unshed tears.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Oliver settled onto the bed, sitting next to her and wound his fingers through hers, holding onto her hand. Then he looked at her and asked the question he knew needed asking and hoped what the answer would be, “Are you happy?”

The tinge of pink coloring her cheeks, the gleam in her eyes and the smile on her face were all the responses he needed to his question. A few tears ran down her cheek as she nodded her head yes. He leaned forward to kiss each one away. When he leaned back to look at his beautiful wife he looked deep into her eyes and softly whispered, “I love you.” A knock on the hospital room door had Oliver standing quickly hands at his side ready for anything.

“Sorry to interrupt,” said the doctor from the doorway as she began to push in her equipment cart. “I’m Dr. Larios and I’m here to perform the ultrasound on Mrs. Queen.”

Felicity smiled at the doctor, “Please, come in Dr. Larios. My regular OB/GYN is Dr. Lopez.”

Dr. Larios smiled at her and replied, “She’s my doctor too!” as she entered the room and began set-up her equipment.

“Do you need me to leave the room?” queried Oliver.

The doctor just smiled at him and shook her head no. She had seen her fair share of eager, soon-to-be Fathers in her professional years and definitely thought Mayor Queen was one of the most anxious ones she had seen to date. She moved aside the I.V. cart and asked Felicity to please move her hospital gown to expose her stomach so she could prep it for the procedure.

The slimy gel was cold causing Felicity to shiver slightly as the doctor applied it to her pale skin. “I guess they don’t make bottle warmers for that do they, Doctor?” she quipped.

The doctor smiled and pulled out the mouse-like device and started moving over Felicity’s lower abdomen until she found exactly what she was looking. “There they are,” she said matter-of-factly.

“I’m sorry, did you say ‘they’?” coughed out Felicity. She gave Oliver a scared look and he clasped her hand tight in his.

Dr. Larios chuckled, “Yes, Mrs. Queen, right now I definitely see two embryos implanted in your uterine lining.” Then she took out what Oliver would later call her ‘magic wand’ and circled two small oblong areas on the screen.

Oliver leaned back down and gave Felicity another kiss and said, “We’re going to be parents, Babe.”

Felicity smiled up at him and said, “We’re going to be Mommy and Daddy to two little peanuts soon.” She could see in her mind’s eye a little girl and little boy each clamoring for their attention. One wanting to chase butterflies and the other eagerly chasing after an errant soccer ball. She saw that Oliver too was caught up in his own thoughts of being a father and smiled. She thought back to her mother telling her not so long ago what a wonderful Daddy he was going to be. The thought of having twins was definitely scary, but she knew that they would be ready to tackle it like they did everything else, together.

The doctor continued taking measurements and evaluating everything that she was seeing on the ultrasound. When she was done she looked at Felicity and Oliver and informed them that everything looked good so far. According to her measurements and Felicity’s recollection about her monthly cycle, the pregnancy was already 10 weeks along. She gave her a prescription for pre-natal vitamins and made some suggestions regarding diet, exercise and stress-reduction. She let them know that a copy of the ultrasounds and blood work would be provided to Felicity’s primary care physician and that she should try and get in to see her as soon as possible to get her obstetrics care planned.

A knock on the door caused them all to turn to see who was there. Thea stood in the doorway, looking concerned as she saw all the equipment surrounding her sister-in-law. Dr. Larios smiled at them all and said that she would return later to review the blood work with her, but that right now Felicity needed her rest. As soon as she left the room, Thea entered.

“Hey, Sis, is everything okay?” Thea asked hesitantly.

Oliver and Felicity both smiled at her. Oliver answered, “Remember how you mentioned wanting to be an Aunt by Christmas, Speedy?”

Thea’s smile grew infinitely wider at the prospect.

Oliver continued, “Well, it won’t be by Christmas this year, but definitely next spring!”

Thea rushed forward and hugged Felicity. Then got up, rushed around the side of the bed and flew at her brother to give him a tight and warm embrace. “Congratulations you two! I can’t wait to spoil my niece or nephew rotten!”

Oliver and Felicity both laughed causing Thea to pause. “Okay, guys. What aren’t you telling me?” she asked.

“I think you might want to prepare yourself for having a little double trouble next year,” wisecracked Oliver.

Felicity gently smacked his arm, to which he gasped, “Ow!”

“Our children will not be double trouble, Oliver Queen,” retorted Felicity. “They will be perfectly behaved children who only inherit the best of both of us.”

Thea snorted, “Oh, Sis, I hate to tell you, but I have a feeling your children are going to give you a run for your money in more than one way.” Then Thea gave them both a sly smiled and added, “Plus, they’ll have their Auntie Thea backing them up all day long.”

The trio laughed and Felicity answered Thea’s questions about her pregnancy with the limited information they had. Then it was their turn to ask Thea how Peter was doing. She let them know that Peter was doing surprisingly well considering he had been shot twice that day. He was currently having his wounds stitched by a very accommodating nurse and she had had enough of watching the nurse’s constant efforts to draw his attention to her ample bosom.

Was that a hint of jealousy from Miss Thea Queen she was witnessing, thought Felicity. Perhaps, a little happiness was about to enter into her sister-in-law’s life, she wondered.

Another knock on the door had them focus their attention in that direction. Lyla Michaels stood there. “Is it okay if I come in now?” she asked.

Oliver looked at his wife and sister and then said, “Of course, Lyla. You helped save the day and made sure we got everyone to the hospital in record time.” 

Lyla had mobilized two strike teams upon learning of the attack at the debate location. She sent one team to the auditorium led by Agent Flagg. Then, she personally led the team that headed to Avalon. When she had gotten there, the mercenaries Agent Torres hired had been surprisingly well-trained. Between her forces and the Bratva forces, they had finally been able to subdue the men, but not before suffering several losses on each side. Then, they were able to storm the main house just as Felicity had fainted into Oliver's arms.

Lyla nodded her head and grimaced at the memory of what happened earlier that day. “I just wish I could have gotten my team there sooner than we did. It might have prevented so many from getting injured or worse by those mercenaries, Agent Torres had hired.”

Felicity looked at her friend and held out her hand to her. “You did everything you could, Lyla. The important thing is that if your forces hadn't helped our men keep those mercenaries occupied, we might not all be here now.”

Lyla reached for the offered hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Thank you, Felicity. I appreciate that.” She looked at Oliver and Thea and said, “I told Johnny that I would help protect you all and I feel like I let him down.”

Oliver shook his head no. “You did everything you could and helped us to the best of your abilities, Lyla. There is no blame to place on your shoulders.” Oliver looked at Felicity and then back at Lyla. “Plus, we can’t have our children’s future godmother worried that we thought she wasn’t doing everything she could to protect their Mom and Dad.”

Lyla's eyes grew larger and gasped, "Are you serious?" as she looked at both of them.

Felicity smiled and said simply, "Yes!"

Lyla reached out for her friend and gave her warm hug of congratulations. "I'm so happy for both of you." Then she looked at them and said, "Is everything okay?"

Oliver smiled. "Everything is great...But we should warn you, the doctor has let us know that we're expecting twins!"

"Twins!" Lyla exclaimed. "You're in for twice the fun now. I can't wait to tell Johnny the good news." Then Lyla sobered up a bit and said, "But before we continue with our celebration, I need to let you know that I have my clean-up team handling the situation at the house and the auditorium."

"What's our cover story?" inquired Oliver.

Lyla let them know that Peter had agreed that the story was the FBI had rescued Oliver and Carter and taken them both back to Avalon, where Carter died a hero trying to protect Mavis from the attacking Agent Torres. Oliver wasn't thrilled with making Carter a hero, but Felicity reminded him that he had diverted CC's and Mavis' attention initially away from her which gave them the opportunity Malcolm needed to continue the diversion needed to stop them. The story was easy for all of them to maintain, albeit reluctantly. Lyla assured them that their cover story would work and that Peter had already been in touch with the FBI to substantiate their version of what happened. Peter had handled the conversation with the SCPD and convinced them to leave the Queens alone until the following day. After a few more minutes of discussion, Lyla left to go back to A.R.G.U.S. headquarters.

Oliver gave Thea, Mark Francis' phone number so she could contact him and let him know what happened according to the agreed to cover story. 

Felicity asked her to also contact Mrs. Sanchez, JJ and Curtis, to let them know that they were fine and would contact them the following day. "Right now, my focus is on our developing little peanuts,"   
Felicity stressed. "Please let our friends know that we'll call them tomorrow, once I've been released from the hospital." 

Thea nodded in agreement and promised to get in touch with everyone. But, before leaving Felicity's hospital room she added, "You might want to call your Mom before she hops on a plane and heads straight to Star City to check on you." Then, Thea left the room to check on Agent Dashkin.

Felicity slumped back on her hospital bed and looked up at Oliver. "Want to flip to see who gets to call, my Mom?"

Oliver looks up from his phone and smiles. "All taken care of, Babe. I just texted her that you were fine and only spending the night at the hospital as a precaution..." Then his phone began to ding incessantly as text after text arrived. He continued, "and I may have included two baby emojis on that last message..."

Felicity rolled her eyes at her husband and sent a silent prayer of thanks that she didn't have her phone with her. But knew that she needed to speak to her Mom or she would definitely be on the next flight out of Vegas on her way to Star City. She held her hand out to Oliver and wiggled her fingers.

Oliver, perceptive as always, handed over his phone to her and sat back down on the side of her bed.

Felicity dialed her Mom, who answered on the first ring. 

"Oliver!!!!" screamed Donna.

"No, Mom," answered Felicity. "It's just me."

"Oh, Baby," replied Donna, "Are you okay? Is everything okay?" Then she whispered, "Do you really have a bun in the oven?"

"Not quite, Mom," Felicity replied and could hear Donna's sad gasp. "I actually have two."

"Whaaaattttt????!!!!!" shrieked Donna. "Oh my, God, I'm going to be a Bubbe! I'm going to be a Bubbe!!!!"

"Mom...Mom...Mom!" Felicity interrupted.

"What?" demanded Donna.

"I need to get my rest now, Mom, okay?" she stated.

"Oh, oh, yeah, rest...you need to get your rest, Honey," Donna agreed. "Do you need me to come out there and help you?"

"I'm good," Felicity looked at Oliver and added, "We're good, Mom. I just need some time for Oliver and I to get rested and ready to be parents, okay? We can talk about you and Quentin coming to visit later."

"I love you, Baby girl," Donna answered.

"I love you too, Mom," Felicity responded. She ended the call and handed it back to Oliver.

"That wasn't too bad now, was it?" Oliver asked gently.

The side-eye glance he got from Felicity let him know that probably wasn't the right tactic to take with his pregnant wife. 

"I mean, now we can just lie here, focus all on you and then look forward to the day our precious little ones arrive," corrected Oliver.

Felicity chuckled, "I think there might be a few things that will happen before that occurs, my Love...like getting through the insanity of Agent Torres' attack today, the media firestorm it caused, next week's election, the infrastructure re-build, not to mention our nightly Arrow Team activities."

"About that," Oliver began, "I've been thinking that we might want to consider bringing on some new members..."

Felicity grabbed onto Oliver's arm in shock. "I'm sorry, but did you just say what I think you said?"

Oliver grinned. "I know, I know. You've mentioned it before and I've always turned you down, not wanting to bring on anyone new...but, now that we're going to be starting a family and I'll be needed around the house more to help with the kids, maybe we should consider it?"

Felicity raised both arms, encouraging to Oliver to pull her into him, which he did willingly. "I think that it's a brilliant idea."

"It's your brilliant idea," he answered.

"I know," she replied. "I'm just glad you agree with me."

"Always..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for sticking with me on this wild and crazy journey.  
> I hope you have enjoyed my little story and that it made you smile.  
> I may do an epilogue, but it won't be published until after the holidays.  
> Thank you for reading!  
> Thank you for leaving kudos!  
> Thank you for commenting!  
> I have appreciated your encouragement and thank you for taking the time to pay a bit of attention to my little drabble.  
> It means more to me than you will ever know.  
> XXOOXXOO  
> V.


	49. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The epilogue is finished at last and much sooner than I expected.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this little wrap-up to my story. :-)

Epilogue

Felicity stood at the nursery window, looking out at the blanket of newly fallen snow covering the grassy expanse at the back of their home, Avalon. Since the birth of the twins, it was a rare moment of peace and quiet for her to have an opportunity to reflect on all the events of the past year. After Carter Bowen and Council Member Briggs were declared martyrs for standing up to the criminal underbelly plaguing Star City, Oliver had been swept into office on a tidal wave of bringing back law and order to the masses. 

The local Bratva families had each received contracts to help build the City’s infrastructure, legitimizing most of the Bratva businesses in town. Those wanting to maintain their more illicit activities were forced to move elsewhere. A few of the older families had complained to Anatoly about this new situation, but their complaints fell on deaf ears the minute he discovered that he and Katya were to become grandparents. Felicity smiled at the memory of the tears streaming down both Katya’s and Anatoly’s faces as she and Oliver told them about the babies via skype. Anatoly had reassured them that he knew they were trying to make their home a better place for their family to live and grow. 

She heard one of the twins snort and walked over to the crib they shared. Katerina squirmed in her sleeper, then settled as soon as her hand touched her brother, Thomas John. Both infants remained sleeping, snuggled as close to each other as possible. They had tried separating them into their own cribs, but the two babies would wail at the top of their lungs until they were placed together for their slumber time. She knew that Little T.J. was always going to have his big sister, Kitty to look out for him and Kitty in return would always have the steady reassurance she needed from her little brother.

The ding of a text message interrupted Felicity’s thoughts and she looked down at her phone to see who it was from. Thea messaged to say she and Peter were on their way to the airport to pick up Anatoly and Katya and bring them back to the house. Felicity smiled knowing how important the holiday season was to the Queen siblings, especially now that there were two new little ones to spoil in the family. 

So important, that Oliver had discussed with her that he wanted to revive the tradition of the Queen Family Holiday Party. Felicity thought it was a wonderful idea and they decided to have two parties instead of one. The first party would be the more public event, inviting their friends and colleagues from City Hall and the community. They held the event at City Hall and used the opportunity to recognize all the hard work that had been done to safeguard their city. The second party was to be held that night and would be a more private event including Anatoly,   
Katya, Donna and Quentin. She was also hoping that Peter would finally use the event to ask Thea to marry him. 

Peter and Thea had been inseparable since the events before the election last year. Thea had used the excuse of taking care of Peter to stay close to him and Peter had used the excuse of needing her help to maintain her by his side in the days after the shooting. As each day passed, Felicity and Oliver could see the budding romance blossom before them. 

Oliver at first was hesitant, not wanting his sister involved with someone from the Bratva. However, seeing the way Peter watched over her, he knew that no harm would ever befall his sister. Even he had to admit that when Thea began working out and sparring with Peter, once he was fully recovered, he worried that Peter might change his feelings. Instead, it seemed to deepen their connection to each other. They had both lost something important to each other and had now found what they were missing in each other. 

Felicity knew that a few months earlier, Peter had asked Oliver’s permission to court his sister, which she had found Old-worldly romantic. Oliver had given his permission readily and insisted that he really needed to ask Thea that question. Oliver warned Peter that she had left Star City to get away from events that had caused her pain in the past and that he wasn’t sure how long she would be willing to stay. Peter had reassured him that he would make every effort to see that Thea Queen was never hurt or sad ever again. After Peter had left him, Oliver had told Felicity about their conversation and predicted that they might be gaining a brother-in-law in the near future. 

Since then, Felicity had noticed a significant change in Thea’s demeanor. She was more relaxed and joyful with each passing day. Thea never mentioned wanting to go back to the life she had been leading after originally leaving Star City. In fact, Thea had been looking at homes nearby to purchase. Felicity offered to give back the loft to her, but Thea had insisted she needed some place with room to run and play, especially if she was going to be baby-sitting her niece and nephew.

A gentle knock on the door diverted Felicity’s attention. Oliver stood there and motioned for his wife to join him in the hallway. Felicity walked over to the crib to check one more time on the sleeping children, smiled and then walked out of the room to find out what her husband needed.

Oliver stood there and opened his arms to which his wife eagerly stepped into the offered hug. 

“Is everything alright?” she asked as she nuzzled his chin with the top of her head.

Oliver brushed a quick kiss on her forehead and replied, “I think tonight’s the night.”

“Don’t get my hopes, Queen,” Felicity cautioned. “You said that last week at the Holiday party at City Hall and nothing happened.”

“Well, tonight is different, Babe,” retorted Oliver. “I think Anatoly and Katya being here is what is finally going to push that great big Russian to finally get down on one knee and ask my sister to marry him.”

“What makes you say that?” Felicity questioned.

“Peter and I were reviewing some paperwork and he casually mentioned that Katya had been emailing him photos of several lovely ladies she thought would make a great Bratva wife.”

Felicity looked at Oliver in horror, “Oh, no! He hasn’t said anything to Anatoly or Katya about Thea?”

Oliver shook his head no. “The last time they were here, was for the twins’ birth and he and Thea were still in that gray area of their budding romance. Now, that they are officially dating, I think he has plans to announce Thea as his beloved.”

Felicity gave a quiet little shout of joy so as not to wake up the twins, “Yes!” Then she looked at Oliver and asked, “So is that why she’s been looking to buy a house close by to us?” Then she swatted at his chest, to which he responded “Ow!” and she asked, “Do you think that they are already engaged and are wanting to do a big family announcement tonight at the party?”

“I don’t know, Baby,” Oliver responded, “but it would be the perfect opportunity to solidify Thea with the Bratva and stop Katya from playing matchmaker.”

“OMG! I hope so!” she exclaimed a little too loudly waking up both babies, making both parents go inside the room to soothe their children.

Later that night at the party, Peter Daskin and Thea Dearden Queen announced their engagement. There were many loud cheers of congratulations and a few tears shed by both men and women who had fancied them both.

Anatoly was cradling Kitty and soothing her little cries when she was startled by the raucous caused from the announcement. While, Donna was cooing over a seemingly oblivious, T.J. who was snuggled against his Bubbe. Oliver looked around the room. There at the celebration besides, several of the other local Bratva families were his best friend, John Diggle, on leave from the army for the holidays, his wife Lyla Michaels, obviously pregnant with their second child, and little Sara Diggle looking brightly pink in a pretty fluffy dress he knew Felicity had already bought an exact copy for their daughter to wear one day. To his left were the new team members he and Felicity had recruited, Rene Ramirez, Rory Regan, and Evelyn Sharp. The only one missing was Curtis Holt who was at his husband’s company’s Christmas party. Then his gaze finally rested on his beautiful wife standing at his side. He wrapped his arm around her tighter, bringing her close enough so that he could kiss her on the lips, then he looked up at everyone in the room, raised his glass and said, “Thank you all for being here. Thank you for coming tonight to celebrate new beginnings…” and he tipped his glass toward Thea and Peter, “and thank you for helping to make our home brighter and festive this holiday season.” Oliver stopped as he caught a familiar face at the back of the room. He recomposed himself and said, “So please join me in raising your glass to all of us. We each played our own special part in making this year a success and I say thank you for all that you have done. Cheers!” Everyone else drank from their glasses and Oliver joined them, but maintained eye contact with the party crasher at the back of the room. He gave Felicity another kiss on the forehead and let her know he would be right back, then made his way to where the person had been standing.

“Merlyn,” Oliver said tersely when he approached the interloper.

“Merry Christmas to you too, Oliver,” was the sarcastic reply. “I understand that Thea has gone and gotten herself engaged to that Russian hulk you keep on a short leash.”

“Peter loves her and she loves him, Malcolm,” state Oliver. “Leave her alone to enjoy her happiness in peace.”

“Relax, Oliver,” replied Malcolm. “I’m only here to wish the happy couple glad tidings and to give them my blessing if they want it.”

“Well, we don’t,” replied Thea with Peter standing behind her. “But my soon-to-be husband is a bit old-fashioned that way and has been hoping he would see you to ask you for my hand in marriage.”

Malcolm smiled at the happy couple and looked up at Peter. “Agent Dashkin, you are a brave man to get yourself attached to a Merlyn…”

“Dad…” Thea seethed in warning as she adopted a fighting stance.

“Calm down, Thea,” Malcolm jibed, “and hear me out please.”

He turned to face Peter and continued, “I appreciate that you have been looking for me to ask me for my daughter’s hand in marriage. That proves to me that you are an honorable man and   
will always put her needs first, even above your own.” Then he looked at Thea and said, “I know that you think the only gifts I ever come bearing are the ones of regret and malice, but today I have something for you I hope you will consider wearing on your wedding day since I won’t be able to walk you down the aisle.” Then Malcolm took out a black velvet box from the inside of his jacket pocket and presented it to Thea.

She opened it and gave him a startled look, unsure of what to say. There lay a beautiful pearl necklace with a sapphire and diamond clasp and matching pearl, diamond and sapphire earrings.

“These were my mother’s pearls that were a wedding gift from my grandmother to her.”

Thea replied, “They are beautiful. Thank you.” She held the glistening snow white pearls up in her hand. “I would be honored to wear them and pass them on to my daughter.”

Malcolm’s eyes grew large at the comment and he flashed a look at Dashkin.

“It’s your turn to calm down, Dad,” Thea responded. “Peter has some rather old-fashioned ideas about a lot of things so we are planning on getting married as soon as possible.”

Peter turned red as Oliver and Malcolm chuckled.

“Well, then,” Malcolm started, “I’ve crashed your festivities long enough. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.” Then Malcolm turned and left as quickly as he had appeared.

Oliver, Thea and Peter returned to the party to celebrate with their guests. Felicity catching her husband’s eyes walked over to him to see what had happened. Oliver explained to her about   
Merlyn and the gift he had presented to Thea. Felicity wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist and settled the side of her head against his chest. They stood there watching as their guests enjoyed the revels of the season. Then she turned her head to look up at Oliver and said simply, “I love you, Oliver,” to which he replied, “I love you, Felicity.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this ending made you as happy as it made me.  
> I truly wish I had the time to put into the tale of Peter's and Thea's courtship and life, but alas, real life calls and there is also another plot bunny wiggling in my ear with an Al Sahim carrot! :-) More on that one later.
> 
> Truly, thank you to each and everyone who has read this story, left a kudo, or left a comment. Your support and encouragement made this journey so much easier and gratifying. 
> 
> Wishing you all the Joys of the Season and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
> 
> Until next time,  
> XXOOXXOO  
> Vanessa

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think.  
> I truly appreciate all feedback.  
> Many thanks!


End file.
